HB 287: Environmental Protection Division; Environmental Advisory Council; update reference date to standards, rules, and regulations

Georgia law ties criminal enforcement of certain environmental and wildlife regulations to a fixed calendar date rather than whatever rules are currently in effect, so violations can be prosecuted consistently. This bill updates that reference date from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 in three places: the Environmental Protection Division's rules (O.C.G.A. § 12-2-2), game and fish rules (O.C.G.A. § 27-1-39), and watercraft rules (O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26). The bill also expands courtesy hunting and fishing licenses for paralyzed or disabled people to include Georgia residents (not just nonresident veterans) and broadens eligible events beyond fishing tournaments to any approved hunting or fishing event, and adds a new courtesy hunting license option. It lowers the special youth turkey season eligibility to a clear 'under 16' standard, creates new annual shellfish crew license fees ($200 for up to ten harvesters, $400 for unlimited), and lets harvesters work under a master harvester's shellfish crew license instead of getting individual commercial licenses.

• Updates the date used to define enforceable Board of Natural Resources standards, rules, and regulations from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 for environmental, game and fish, and watercraft law.
• Expands the courtesy fishing license for paralyzed or disabled people to cover Georgia residents, not just nonresident veterans, and broadens it to any department-approved fishing event.
• Creates a new courtesy hunting license, without fee, for paralyzed or disabled people participating in approved hunting events.
• Changes the youth turkey hunting season eligibility from 'age 16 or younger' to 'youth under 16 years of age'.
• Adds two new annual shellfish crew license fees: $200 for crews of up to ten harvesters and $400 for unlimited harvesters.
• Allows shellfish harvesters to work under a master harvester's shellfish crew license instead of each needing an individual commercial fishing license and boat license.

Hunters and anglers in Georgia, especially paralyzed or disabled residents and youth turkey hunters, as well as commercial shellfish harvesters and their employers. The Environmental Protection Division, the Board of Natural Resources, and prosecutors handling environmental, wildlife, or watercraft violations are also affected by the updated enforcement date.

The date update keeps criminal enforcement of natural resources rules tied to current regulations rather than outdated ones. The licensing changes give more disabled Georgians and youth hunters access to courtesy licenses and a clearer turkey season rule, while the shellfish provisions create new costs and options for commercial harvesting crews.

• Section 1 updates O.C.G.A. § 12-2-2 so criminal violations of Board of Natural Resources standards are based on rules in effect January 1, 2025, instead of 2024.
• Section 2 makes the same date update for game and fish rules under O.C.G.A. § 27-1-39.
• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4.2 to let both residents and nonresidents who are paralyzed or disabled get courtesy fishing licenses at any approved fishing event, and adds a parallel courtesy hunting license in a new subsection (b).
• Section 4 changes O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4.4 to define eligible young hunters as 'youth under 16 years of age' rather than '16 years of age or younger'.
• Section 5 adds two new annual shellfish crew license fees to O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23: $200 for up to ten harvesters and $400 for unlimited harvesters.
• Section 6 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-4-190 to let harvesters work without an individual commercial fishing license if their master harvester has bought a shellfish crew license.
• Section 7 updates O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26 so watercraft rule violations are based on rules in effect January 1, 2025, instead of 2024.

1. 2025-07-01Effective Date
2. 2025-05-13Act 178
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-11Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-11Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-02-28Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)Primary sponsor
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• John LaHood (R, HD-175)
• Lauren McDonald III (R, HD-26)
• Chas Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 24, 2025

   171 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 5 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #68

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 11, 2025

   50 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 6 excused)

   PASSAGE: Senate Vote #224

• hunting and fishing licenses
• environmental regulations
• wildlife law
• shellfish harvesting
• disabled hunters and anglers