--- title: HB 1496. Acworth, City of; adopt by reference a certain map collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1496 cite_as: HB 1496, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1496 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1496.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1496/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73822 date: 2026-05-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1495.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1497.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 887 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1496.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1496 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-05-11 last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 sponsors: - Lisa Campbell - Sheila Jones - Don Parsons - Mekyah McQueen - Ginny Ehrhart - Jordan Ridley text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1496/2025 upstream_id: 2128659 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Acworth city charter - municipal boundaries - local government - city map --- # HB 1496. Acworth, City of; adopt by reference a certain map ## Text House Bill 1496 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Campbell of the 35th, Jones of the 60th, Parsons of the 44th, McQueen of the 61st, Ehrhart of the 36th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act to reincorporate and provide a new charter for the City of Acworth, approved February 17, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 3512), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 13, 2025 (Ga. L. 2025, p. 3711), so as to adopt by reference a certain map; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. An Act to reincorporate and provide a new charter for the City of Acworth, approved February 17, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 3512), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 13, 2025 (Ga. L. 2025, p. 3711), is amended by revising subsection (a) of Section 1.11 as follows: "(a) The boundaries of this city shall be those existing on the effective date of this charter with such alterations as may be made from time to time by local law or in a manner provided by general state law. The boundaries of this city at all times shall be shown on a map, a written description, or any combination thereof, to be retained permanently in the office of the city clerk and to be designated, as the case may be, the 'Official Map or Description of the Corporate Limits of the City of Acworth, Georgia.' Photographic, typed, or other copies of such map or description certified by the city clerk shall be admitted as evidence in all courts and shall have the same force and effect as the original map or description. The 'Official Map or Description of the Corporate Limits of the City of Acworth, Georgia,' dated January 2, 2026, prepared by the City Clerk of the City of Acworth, is adopted as the official map of the corporate limits of the City of Acworth, Georgia, and the corporate boundaries of the City of Acworth, Georgia, as of January 1, 2026, shall be reflected on said official map, subject to amendment as set forth in this charter or by local Act or in accordance with the general laws of the state." SECTION 2. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A House bill updates the City of Acworth's charter to officially adopt a new map showing the city's exact boundaries as of January 1, 2026. ### Plain-language summary This bill amends Acworth's city charter, originally passed in 1989 and revised as recently as May 2025, to update the official record of the city's corporate boundaries. Georgia city charters are required to keep a map or written description of the city's limits on file with the city clerk, and this bill formally adopts a new version of that map. The bill replaces the boundary section of the charter with language adopting the 'Official Map or Description of the Corporate Limits of the City of Acworth, Georgia,' dated January 2, 2026, as the city's official boundary map. It states that the boundaries as of January 1, 2026 are reflected on that map, and that the map can be changed later through local legislation or general state law. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Amends Section 1.11 of the City of Acworth's charter to adopt a new official map of the city's corporate boundaries. - Designates the map dated January 2, 2026, prepared by the City Clerk, as the legally recognized boundary map for the city. - States that certified copies of the map or description can be used as evidence in court with the same effect as the original. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this update to the charter. ### Who it affects Primarily affects the City of Acworth's government, particularly the office of the city clerk, which maintains the official boundary map. It also affects residents and property owners near the city's edges, since the map determines who falls inside city limits. ### Why it matters Keeping an accurate, legally adopted boundary map matters for determining which residents and properties fall under Acworth's city taxes, services, and jurisdiction. This update ensures the charter reflects the city's current boundaries as of January 1, 2026, avoiding confusion in legal or administrative disputes over city limits. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises subsection (a) of Section 1.11 of the Acworth charter to adopt the map dated January 2, 2026 as the official corporate limits map. - The revised text confirms the map reflects the city's boundaries as of January 1, 2026 and can be amended later by local law or general state law. - Certified copies of the map or description are given the same legal weight as the original for use as court evidence. - Section 2 repeals any laws in conflict with this Act. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-05-11) - Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11) - Sponsors: Lisa Campbell, Sheila Jones, Don Parsons, Mekyah McQueen, Ginny Ehrhart, Jordan Ridley - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73822 > The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1496.md?full=1