--- title: HB 411. Banks County; Board of Commissioners; change description of districts collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb411 cite_as: HB 411, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb411 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb411.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb411/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70252 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/hb410.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb412.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 911 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb411.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 411 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: - Chris Erwin text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB411/2025 upstream_id: 1968186 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - local government redistricting - Banks County - county commissioners - election districts --- # HB 411. Banks County; Board of Commissioners; change description of districts ## Text 25 LC 47 3430S/AP House Bill 411 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representative Erwin of the 32nd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act creating a board of commissioners for Banks County, approved August 19,1 (Ga. L. 1916, p. 349), as amended, particularly by an Act appro ved February 17, 20222 (Ga. L. 2022, p. 4500), so as to change the description of the commissioner districts; to3 provide for definitions and inclusions; to provide for the cont inuation in office of current4 members; to provide for effective dates; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting5 laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Act creating a board of commissioners for Banks County, approve d August 19, 19169 (Ga. L. 1916, p. 349), as amended, particularly by an Act appro ved February 17, 202210 (Ga. L. 2022, p. 4500), is amended by revising Section 2 as follows:11 "SECTION 2.12 (a) For the purpose of electing members of the board of commis sioners, Banks County13 shall be divided into five commissioner districts. Commissione r Districts 1, 2, 3, and 414 H. B. 411 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3430S/AP shall be and correspond to those four numbered districts described in Appendix A, attached15 to and made a part of this Act and further identified as 'User: Banks CC Plan Name:16 BanksCC-2025 Plan Type: Local'. Commissioner District 5 shall be comprised of the17 entire geographic area of Banks County and the person elected f rom such district shall18 serve as the chairperson of the board of commissioners.19 (b)(1) For the purposes of such plan:20 (A) The term 'VTD' shall mean and describe the same geographic al boundaries as21 provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the Unit ed States decennial22 census of 2020 for the State of Georgia. The separate numeric designations in a district23 description which are underneath a VTD heading shall mean and d escribe individual24 Blocks within a VTD as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the25 United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia; and26 (B) Except as otherwise provi ded in the description of any dis trict, whenever the27 description of any district refers to a named city, it shall me an the geographical28 boundaries of that city as shown on the census maps for the Uni ted States decennial29 census of 2020 for the State of Georgia.30 (2) Any part of Banks County which is not included in any dist rict described in31 subsection (a) of this section shall be included within that district contiguous to such part32 which contains the least population according to the United Sta tes decennial census33 of 2020 for the State of Georgia.34 (3) Any part of Banks County which is described in subsection (a) of this section as35 being included in a particular district shall nevertheless not be included within such36 district if such part is not contiguous to such district. Such noncontiguous part shall37 instead be included within that district contiguous to such part which contains the least38 population according to the Unite d States decennial census of 2 020 for the State of39 Georgia."40 H. B. 411 - 2 - 25 LC 47 3430S/AP SECTION 2.41 (a) Those members of the Board of Commissioners of Banks Count y who are serving as42 such on the effective date of this Act and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such43 office shall continue to serve as such members until the regular expiration of their respective44 terms of office and upon the election and qualification of their respective successors.45 (b) Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, as they exist immed iately prior to the effective46 date of this Act, shall continue to be designated as Commission er Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4,47 respectively, but as newly described under this Act, and on and after the effective date of this48 Act, such members of the board serving from those former commissioner districts shall be49 deemed to be serving from and representing their respective dis tricts as newly described50 under this Act.51 SECTION 3.52 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law53 without such approval.54 SECTION 4.55 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.56 H. B. 411 - 3 - 25 LC 47 3430S/AP APPENDIX A57 User: Banks CC 58 Plan Name: BanksCC-2025 59 Plan Type: Local 60 District 00161 County Banks GA 62 VTD 0110004 - BUSHVILLE63 Block 970200 64 3051 3060 65 Block 970300 66 2002 2003 2004 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2051 2052 205367 2054 2055 2057 2058 2059 2060 68 Block 970400 69 1014 1017 1018 1019 1020 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 103170 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 201171 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 202372 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 203573 2036 2037 2038 2039 2048 2049 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 206574 2066 2067 2068 2069 2070 2071 2072 2073 2074 2075 75 VTD 0110006 - DAVIDS76 VTD 0110013 - WILMONTS77 Block 970200 78 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 204779 2051 2054 3000 3001 3002 3003 3004 3005 3006 3007 3010 301180 3012 3013 3018 3019 3020 3021 81 H. B. 411 - 4 - 25 LC 47 3430S/AP District 00282 County Banks GA 83 VTD 0110002 - BALDWIN84 VTD 0110003 - BERLIN85 VTD 0110005 - COLUMBIA86 VTD 0110007 - GOLDEN HILL87 Block 970100 88 4017 4018 4019 4020 4021 89 Block 970200 90 1001 1004 1020 1021 91 VTD 0110009 - HOLLINGSWORTH92 VTD 0110012 - WASHINGTON93 District 00394 County Banks GA 95 VTD 0110007 - GOLDEN HILL96 Block 970100 97 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 101198 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1033 1034 1035 1036 103799 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1047 4000 4001 4002 4003 4004100 4005 4007 4008 4009 4010 4014 4015 4016 4022 4023 4030 101 VTD 0110008 - GROVE RIVER102 VTD 0110011 - POPLAR SPRINGS103 District 004104 County Banks GA 105 VTD 0110001 - ANDERSON106 H. B. 411 - 5 - 25 LC 47 3430S/AP VTD 0110004 - BUSHVILLE107 Block 970200 108 3059 109 VTD 0110010 - HOMER110 VTD 0110013 - WILMONTS111 Block 970200 112 3008 3009 3014 3015 3016 3017 113 H. B. 411 - 6 - ## 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 411 redraws the boundary lines of Banks County's four numbered commissioner districts using 2020 census data, while keeping the county's five-member commission structure the same. ### Plain-language summary Banks County elects its board of commissioners from five districts: four numbered districts plus a countywide chairperson seat. This bill amends the 1916 Act that created the board, as last changed in 2022, to redraw the boundaries of Commissioner Districts 1 through 4 using new maps based on the 2020 U.S. Census. The detailed new boundaries are listed by census voting district (VTD) and census block in an attached appendix. The bill also protects current commissioners already in office, letting them finish their terms and be treated as representing their same district number even though the district's boundaries have changed. It defines technical census terms used in the maps, including how to handle land accidentally left out of any district or land described as being in a district it is not actually connected to. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law. ### What it does - Redraws the geographic boundaries of Banks County's Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 using new maps tied to the 2020 U.S. Census. - Keeps Commissioner District 5 as the entire county, with its elected member continuing to serve as board chairperson. - Defines census terms like 'VTD' (voting tabulation district) and 'Block' used to describe the new district lines, based on 2020 Census Bureau data. - Sets rules for handling any land left out of all districts or land assigned to a district it is not geographically connected to, assigning it to the least populated adjacent district. - Allows current commissioners to finish their terms and treats them as representing their same district number under the new boundaries. - Makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or otherwise becoming law without changing the five-district structure itself. ### Who it affects Banks County voters and residents, whose commissioner district lines and represented officials could shift; current members of the Banks County Board of Commissioners, whose district boundaries change but who keep serving out their terms; and local election officials who administer commissioner elections. ### Why it matters Where county commission district lines fall determines which commissioner represents a given resident and can affect how votes are grouped for elections. This bill updates those lines to reflect 2020 Census population data without changing how many districts exist or removing any sitting commissioner. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises Section 2 of the 1916 Act to redivide Banks County into five commissioner districts, with Districts 1 through 4 matching the boundaries in Appendix A. - Section 1 keeps District 5 as the whole county, with its elected member serving as board chairperson. - Section 1 defines 'VTD' and related census terms by reference to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau report for Georgia. - Section 1 provides that any county land left out of a district goes to the contiguous district with the least population, and any land assigned to a district it is not contiguous to is reassigned the same way. - Section 2 lets sitting commissioners finish their current terms and continue to be treated as representing their same-numbered district under the newly described boundaries. - Section 3 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's approval or upon its becoming law without such approval. - Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws. - Appendix A lists the specific census voting districts and census blocks that make up Districts 1 through 4. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Chris Erwin - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70252 > The history, votes, and amendments (911 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb411.md?full=1