--- title: HB 216. Richard H. Smith Georgia CHIPS Advancement in Research and Economic Development Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb216 cite_as: HB 216, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb216 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb216.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb216/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69749 date: 2025-05-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb215.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb217.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1028 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb216.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 216 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-13 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 sponsors: - Vance Smith - Jon Burns - Todd Jones - Carmen Rice - Carolyn Hugley - Debbie Buckner - Randy Robertson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB216/2025 upstream_id: 1949611 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - semiconductor industry - economic development - workforce training - state commissions - technology policy --- # HB 216. Richard H. Smith Georgia CHIPS Advancement in Research and Economic Development Act; enact ## Text 25 LC 59 0065/AP House Bill 216 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Smith of the 138th, Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 25th, Rice of the 139th, Hugley of the 141st, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 7 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the1 Department of Economic Development, so as to create the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced2 Technology Commission; to provide for the purpose, membership, and duties of such3 commission; to amend Chapter 34 of Title 50, relating to the OneGeorgia Authority, so as4 to abolish the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Consortium ; to replace the5 advisory panel and executive committee governing said consortium with the Georgia CHIPS6 and Advanced Technology Commission; to provide for a definition; to provide for a sunset7 date; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short ti tle; to provide for an effective8 date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10 SECTION 1.11 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Richard H. Smi t h G e o r g i a C H I P S12 Advancement in Research and Economic Development Act."13 H. B. 216 - 1 - 25 LC 59 0065/AP SECTION 2.14 Chapter 7 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department15 of Economic Development, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:16 "ARTICLE 1117 50-7-130.18 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'commission' means the Georgia CHIPS and19 Advanced Technology Commission established pursuant to this Code section.20 (b) Subject to available funding, the commission shall be established for the purposes of:21 (1) Establishing a forum for public and private stakeholders a cross the semiconductor22 manufacturing industry in this state to focus on education, research and development, and23 commercial production;24 (2) Leveraging the expertise and capacity of institutions of higher education in this state,25 industry, and nonprofit organizations focused on semiconductor and advanced technology26 economic and workforce development to develop a comprehensive s trategic plan to27 ensure ongoing semiconductor innovation;28 (3) Advising on strategies for attracting public and private investment in this state related29 to research, development, commercialization, manufacturing, and advanced packaging30 of semiconductors;31 (4) Identifying and expanding opportunities for wo rkforce training and development32 related to the research, design, and manufacturing of semicondu ctors and related33 advanced technologies;34 (5) Sustaining the leadership of this state in advanced semiconductor research, design,35 manufacturing, and advanced packaging; and36 (6) Encouraging the state, counties, and municipalities to att ract and support the37 semiconductor industry and related suppliers.38 H. B. 216 - 2 - 25 LC 59 0065/AP (c) The commission shall be composed of the following members:39 (1) Three members appointed by the Governor;40 (2) Two members appointed by the President of the Senate;41 (3) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;42 (4) The chancellor of the University System of Georgia or his or her designee; and43 (5) The commissioner of Technical College System of Georgia or his or her designee.44 (d) In making appointments under subsection (c) of this Code s ection, priority shall be45 given to individuals with experi ence in manufacturing, design, industrial development,46 academic research, and scientific research in the field of semiconductors.47 (e) All vacancies on the commission shall be filled by the original appointing official.48 (f) The commission shall be assigned to the Georgia Department of Economic49 Development for administrative purposes only, as prescribed in Code Section 50-4-3.50 (g) The commission shall stand abolished on June 30, 2028."51 SECTION 3.52 Chapter 34 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the OneGeorgia53 Authority, is amended by repealing Code Section 50-34-21, relating to the Georgia CHIPS54 and Advanced Technology Consortium.55 SECTION 4.56 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law57 without such approval.58 SECTION 5.59 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.60 H. B. 216 - 3 - ## 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. House Bill 216 replaces Georgia's existing semiconductor industry advisory group with a new Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Commission housed in the Department of Economic Development, set to expire in mid-2028. ### Plain-language summary Georgia currently has a Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Consortium, governed by an advisory panel and executive committee under the OneGeorgia Authority. This bill abolishes that consortium's governing structure and creates a new commission, the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Commission, inside the Department of Economic Development. The commission's job is to bring together public and private stakeholders in semiconductor manufacturing, use expertise from Georgia's colleges and universities and industry groups to build a strategic plan for the industry, advise on attracting investment, expand workforce training, and encourage state and local governments to support the semiconductor industry and its suppliers. It has nine members: three appointed by the Governor, two by the Senate President, two by the House Speaker, plus the University System of Georgia chancellor and the Technical College System of Georgia commissioner (or their designees). The commission is set to be abolished automatically on June 30, 2028. The law took effect once the Governor signed it. ### What it does - Creates the Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Commission within the Department of Economic Development to guide semiconductor industry policy. - Repeals O.C.G.A. § 50-34-21, eliminating the prior Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Consortium and its advisory panel and executive committee. - Sets the commission's membership at nine people, appointed by the Governor, the Senate President, the House Speaker, and two ex officio higher education officials. - Directs the commission to focus on workforce training, research strategy, and attracting investment in semiconductor manufacturing. - Automatically abolishes the commission on June 30, 2028 unless further action is taken. - Names the law the 'Richard H. Smith Georgia CHIPS Advancement in Research and Economic Development Act.' ### Who it affects The bill affects the Department of Economic Development, the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker (who make appointments), the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia, and Georgia's semiconductor manufacturers, researchers, and workforce training programs. ### Why it matters Georgians involved in semiconductor manufacturing, higher education research, and workforce development would deal with a new state body coordinating strategy and investment in that industry, replacing the prior consortium structure with a differently composed commission that has a built-in expiration date. ### Key provisions - Section 2 adds a new article to Chapter 7 of Title 50, creating O.C.G.A. § 50-7-130 establishing the commission and its six stated purposes, including workforce development and attracting investment. - Section 2 sets commission membership: three Governor appointees, two Senate President appointees, two House Speaker appointees, plus the University System chancellor and Technical College System commissioner or their designees. - Section 2 directs that appointment priority go to people with experience in manufacturing, design, industrial development, or academic and scientific research in semiconductors. - Section 2 places the commission under the Department of Economic Development for administrative purposes only and sets its abolition date as June 30, 2028. - Section 3 repeals O.C.G.A. § 50-34-21, eliminating the existing Georgia CHIPS and Advanced Technology Consortium under the OneGeorgia Authority. - Section 4 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without his signature. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Vance Smith, Jon Burns, Todd Jones, Carmen Rice, Carolyn Hugley, Debbie Buckner, Randy Robertson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69749 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,028 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb216.md?full=1