--- title: HB 495. Education; Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation; repeal; provide for Georgia Rural Development Council collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb495 cite_as: HB 495, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb495 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb495.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb495/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70419 date: 2025-05-14 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/hb494.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb496.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1081 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb495.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 495 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-14 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Robert Dickey - Jon Burns - Steven Meeks - Leesa Hagan - Gerald Greene - Rick Jasperse - Sam Watson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB495/2025 upstream_id: 1974246 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - rural development - state agriculture department - Georgia government reorganization - rural economic policy --- # HB 495. Education; Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation; repeal; provide for Georgia Rural Development Council ## Text 25 LC 44 3087S/AP House Bill 495 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Dickey of the 134th, Burns of the 159th, Meeks of the 178th, Hagan of the 156th, Greene of the 154th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to1 repeal Chapter 18, relating to the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation; to amend2 Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to agriculture, so as to transfer the3 Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation to the Department of Agriculture; to provide for4 a director; to provide for the Georgia Rural Development Council; to provide for duties and5 satellite offices; to provide for reporting and approval of plans of work; to provide for related6 matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended by10 repealing Chapter 18, relating to the Center for Rural Prosperi ty and Innovation, in its11 entirety.12 SECTION 2.13 Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to agriculture, is amended by14 adding a new chapter to read as follows:15 H. B. 495 - 1 - 25 LC 44 3087S/AP "CHAPTER 2416 2-24-1.17 (a) Effective July 1, 2025, the Center for Rural Prosperity an d Innovation shall be18 transferred from the University System of Georgia to the department and shall be located19 within an appropriate facility.20 (b)(1) The director of the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation shall be appointed21 by the Commissioner, provided that such appointment shall be subject to approval by a22 majority vote of the Georgia Rural Development Council. The director shall continue to23 serve in such position until his or her resignation or until th e appointment of a new24 director by the Commissioner, provided that such appointment is approved by a majority25 vote of such council.26 (2) Subject to appropriations, the director shall be authorized to employ such personnel27 as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.28 2-24-2.29 (a) The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation shall include a council, to be known30 and designated as the Georgia Rural Development Council, that shall offer guidance to the31 Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation.32 (b) The Georgia Rural Development Council shall be composed of 12 members who shall33 be appointed as follows:34 (1) Six members shall be appointed by the Governor which six m embers, by majority35 vote, shall appoint one of such members to serve as the chairperson of the council. Each36 of the six shall be selected to represent one of the following areas:37 (A) Leadership management;38 (B) Business development and entrepreneurship;39 (C) Finance and taxes;40 H. B. 495 - 2 - 25 LC 44 3087S/AP (D) Logistics of rural industries;41 (E) Healthcare; and42 (F) Education;43 (2) Three members who live in different geographic areas of this state from each other44 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and45 (3) Three members who live in different geographic areas of this state from each other46 shall be appointed by the President of the Senate.47 (c)(1) Legislative members who are appointed to the council sh all serve for two-year48 terms. Nonlegislative members shall serve for four-year terms, provided that three of the49 initial six members to be appointed by the Governor shall serve initial terms of two years,50 and thereafter such appointments shall be for four-year terms.51 (2) Members may serve consecutive terms without limit.52 (d) The council shall study the conditions, needs, issues, and problems affecting rural53 economic development and shall examine related policy areas as it may deem necessary54 and appropriate, including, but not limited to, population stud ies, access to healthcare,55 infrastructure, education, unemployment, and economic growth incentives.56 (e) The chairperson shall call all meetings of the council. The council shall meet at least57 once per quarter and each such meeting shall be at a different location within this state,58 particularly in rural areas of this state, for the purpose of interacting with local government59 officials, educational leaders, healthcare providers, business leaders, civic groups, and all60 other citizens who desire to offer input, so as to enable the c ouncil to exercise fully and61 effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of62 this chapter.63 (f)(1) Legislative members of the council shall receive the al lowances provided for in64 Code Section 28-1-8.65 (2) Members of the council who are state officials, other than legislative members, or66 state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the council, but they67 H. B. 495 - 3 - 25 LC 44 3087S/AP may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as68 members of the council in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their69 capacities as state officials or employees.70 (3) Citizen members of the council shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount71 the same as that specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45 -7-21, as well as the72 mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state employees.73 (4) The allowances and expenses authorized by this subsection shall not be received by74 the chairperson for more than 15 days and any other member of the council for more than75 ten days per year. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Code section shall76 come from appropriated funds; provided, however, that funds for the reimbursement of77 the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and state employees shall78 come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.79 2-24-3.80 (a) It shall be the duty of the Center for Rural Prosperity an d Innovation to provide a81 central information and research hub for rural matters and best practices which may82 include:83 (1) Community planning models for proactively identifying valu e added gaps or84 strengths; and85 (2) Industry-specific assistance.86 (b) The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation may establish such satellite offices as87 are necessary to accomplish its mission.88 2-24-4.89 (a) The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation shall annually prepare and submit to90 the General Assembly, for review by the House of Representative s' and the Senate's91 standing committees on agriculture and economic development, a plan of work that92 H. B. 495 - 4 - 25 LC 44 3087S/AP outlines the use of the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovat ion's resources for the93 upcoming fiscal years.94 (b) Said committees may, by majority vote, approve the plan and submit recommendations95 to the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Committee on Appropriations for96 their consideration in developing the budget."97 SECTION 3.98 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.99 H. B. 495 - 5 - ## 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 495 moves Georgia's Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation out of the university system and into the Department of Agriculture, and creates a 12-member Georgia Rural Development Council to guide it. ### Plain-language summary The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation currently exists under Title 20 of Georgia law, tied to the University System of Georgia. This bill repeals that chapter entirely and creates a new chapter under Title 2, the agriculture title, moving the center to the Department of Agriculture effective July 1, 2025. The bill sets up a new Georgia Rural Development Council of 12 members: six appointed by the Governor to represent areas like business development, healthcare, and education, three appointed by the Speaker of the House, and three appointed by the President of the Senate, all from different parts of the state. The Commissioner of Agriculture appoints the center's director, but that appointment needs council approval. The council must meet quarterly in different locations, mostly rural areas, to gather public input. The center must submit an annual work plan to legislative committees, which can recommend funding priorities to the budget-writing committees. ### What it does - Repeals Chapter 18 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, ending the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation's placement under the University System of Georgia. - Creates a new Chapter 24 in Title 2 (agriculture law) that moves the center to the Department of Agriculture starting July 1, 2025. - Establishes the Georgia Rural Development Council, a 12-member body appointed by the Governor, the House Speaker, and the Senate President to guide the center's work. - Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to appoint the center's director, subject to majority approval by the new council. - Directs the center to serve as a research hub on rural issues and to submit an annual plan of work to House and Senate committees on agriculture and economic development. - Sets pay and expense reimbursement rules for council members, capping paid allowance days per year. ### Who it affects The change affects the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation's staff and leadership, the University System of Georgia (which loses oversight), the Department of Agriculture and its Commissioner (which gains oversight), and the new council members appointed by the Governor, House Speaker, and Senate President. Rural communities, local officials, and business and healthcare leaders who interact with the center are also affected. ### Why it matters Moving the center to the Department of Agriculture and adding a politically appointed oversight council changes who controls rural development policy and funding decisions in Georgia. The council's required quarterly meetings across the state, particularly rural areas, could change how rural residents and local leaders get input into state rural development programs. ### Key provisions - Section 1 repeals Chapter 18 of Title 20, fully removing the center's prior legal basis under the university system. - Section 2 adds new Code Section 2-24-1, transferring the center to the Department of Agriculture effective July 1, 2025, and giving the Commissioner authority to appoint a director subject to council approval. - Code Section 2-24-2 creates the 12-member Georgia Rural Development Council, detailing appointment sources, subject-area seats, term lengths (two years for legislative appointees, four years for others), and meeting and compensation rules. - Code Section 2-24-3 assigns the center the duty of serving as a research and information hub on rural community planning and industry-specific assistance, and allows satellite offices. - Code Section 2-24-4 requires an annual plan of work submitted to House and Senate agriculture and economic development committees, which may recommend budget priorities to the Appropriations Committees. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-14) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-14) - Sponsors: Robert Dickey, Jon Burns, Steven Meeks, Leesa Hagan, Gerald Greene, Rick Jasperse, Sam Watson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70419 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,081 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb495.md?full=1