--- title: HB 396. Acworth, City of; adopt by reference a certain map collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb396 cite_as: HB 396, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb396 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb396.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb396/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70197 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/hb395.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb397.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 882 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb396.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 396 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: - Lisa Campbell - Jordan Ridley - Ginny Ehrhart - Devan Seabaugh - Mekyah McQueen - Mary Williams text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB396/2025 upstream_id: 1965798 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Acworth city charter - city boundaries - local government maps - Cobb County --- # HB 396. Acworth, City of; adopt by reference a certain map ## Text 25 LC 62 0096/AP House Bill 396 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Campbell of the 35th, Ridley of the 22nd, Ehrhart of the 36th, Seabaugh of the 34th, McQueen of the 61st, 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,1 approved February 17, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 3512), as amended, particularly by an Act2 approved May 6, 2024 (Ga. L. 2024, p. 4039), so as to adopt by reference a certain map; to3 repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 An Act to reincorporate and provide a new charter for the City of Acworth, approved7 February 17, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 3512), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May8 6, 2024 (Ga. L. 2024, p. 4039), is amended by revising subsecti on (a) of Section 1.11 as9 follows:10 "(a) The boundaries of this city shall be those existing on the effective date of this charter11 with such alterations as may be made from time to time by local law or in a manner12 provided by general state law. The boundaries of this city at all times shall be shown on13 a map, a written description, or any combination thereof, to be retained permanently in the14 office of the city clerk and to be designated, as the case may be, the 'Official Map or15 Description of the Corporate Limits of the City of Acworth, Georgia.' Photographic, typed,16 H. B. 396 - 1 - 25 LC 62 0096/AP or other copies of such map or description certified by the city clerk shall be admitted as17 evidence in all courts and shall have the same force and effect as the original map or18 description. The 'Official Map or Description of the Corporate Limits of the City of19 Acworth, Georgia,' dated December 19, 2024, prepared by the Cit y Clerk of the City of20 Acworth, is adopted as the official map of the corporate limits of the City of Acworth,21 Georgia, and the corporate boundaries of the City of Acworth, G eorgia, as of January 1,22 2025, shall be reflected on said official map, subject to amend ment as set forth in this23 charter or by local Act or in accordance with the general laws of the state."24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 396 - 2 - ## 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 396 updates the City of Acworth's charter to officially adopt a new map, dated December 19, 2024, as the city's legal record of its boundary lines. ### Plain-language summary The City of Acworth's charter requires an official map or written description of the city's boundaries to be kept on file with the city clerk. This bill updates that section of the charter to formally adopt a new map, dated December 19, 2024 and prepared by the Acworth City Clerk, as the city's official record of its corporate limits. The bill states that the city's boundaries as of January 1, 2025 will be reflected on this newly adopted map. The map remains subject to future changes through local law or general state law, and certified copies of it can be used as evidence in court. The bill also repeals any prior laws that conflict with this update. ### What it does - Revises Section 1.11(a) of the City of Acworth's charter to adopt a specific new boundary map dated December 19, 2024 as the official record. - States that the city's boundaries as of January 1, 2025 will be shown on this newly adopted official map. - Confirms that certified copies of the map or description can be used as evidence in court with the same legal weight as the original. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this update to the charter. ### Who it affects This bill mainly affects the City of Acworth's government, particularly the city clerk's office, which maintains the official boundary records. It could also matter to Acworth residents, property owners, and businesses near the city's edges whose properties depend on accurate boundary lines. ### Why it matters Official boundary maps determine which properties fall under Acworth's city government, taxes, and services versus unincorporated Cobb County. Updating and formally adopting a current map helps ensure the city's legal boundary records are accurate and usable as evidence in disputes over jurisdiction. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends Section 1.11(a) of the Acworth charter (originally from Ga. L. 1989, p. 3512, as amended by Ga. L. 2024, p. 4039) to adopt the December 19, 2024 map as the official boundary map. - Section 1 specifies that the city's corporate boundaries as of January 1, 2025 will be reflected on this map. - Section 1 preserves the existing rule that certified copies of the map or description are valid evidence in court. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Lisa Campbell, Jordan Ridley, Ginny Ehrhart, Devan Seabaugh, Mekyah McQueen, Mary Williams - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70197 > The history, votes, and amendments (882 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb396.md?full=1