HB 51: Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties for projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) currently helps local governments and nonprofits finance water, sewer, solid waste, and land conservation projects. House Bill 51 adds a new category of 'environmental facilities' covering natural gas storage, supply, and distribution systems, but only outside a certified area of a nonmunicipal gas company as defined under Georgia's gas utility law (O.C.G.A. § 46-1-1). The bill amends the authority's definitions in O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4 to include 'natural gas facility' as a new term and adds natural gas facilities to the list of 'environmental services' GEFA can provide. It also gives the authority new power to write rules and regulations to carry out its duties, and extends the existing limited personal liability protection for GEFA officers and employees to cover natural gas systems owned by local governments. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.

• Adds natural gas storage, supply, and distribution systems to the list of projects GEFA can finance, as long as they sit outside a certified nonmunicipal gas company's service area.
• Creates a new legal definition of 'natural gas facility' in Georgia's GEFA statute (O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4) tied to this new category.
• Adds natural gas facilities to the authority's defined 'environmental services' that it can help provide, alongside water, sewer, and solid waste services.
• Gives the authority explicit power to adopt rules and regulations to carry out its duties under this chapter of law.
• Extends limited personal liability protection for GEFA officers and employees to cover natural gas systems owned by local governments, matching protection already given for water, sewer, and solid waste systems.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and its officers and employees, local governments that might build or own natural gas systems, nonmunicipal gas companies with certified service areas, and communities located outside those certified gas service territories that could seek GEFA financing for gas infrastructure.

Communities outside an existing gas company's certified service area could gain a new state financing avenue for building natural gas storage and distribution infrastructure. Local government officials involved in running such systems would also get the same limited liability protection GEFA already extends for water and sewer systems.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4 to add a new subparagraph (E) defining natural gas facilities as storage, supply, and distribution infrastructure outside a certified nonmunicipal gas company area.
• Section 1 adds a new defined term, 'natural gas facility,' and adds natural gas facilities to the definition of 'environmental services.'
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-5 to add a new paragraph (35) authorizing GEFA to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry out the chapter's purposes.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-12 to add 'natural gas system' to the list of local government owned systems covered by limited personal liability protection for GEFA officials.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill, or the date it becomes law without his signature.
• Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
2. 2025-03-18Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2025-03-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
4. 2025-02-21Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2025-02-20House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
6. 2025-02-20House Third Readers (House)
7. 2025-02-13House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
8. 2025-02-06House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)

• James Burchett (R, HD-176)Primary sponsor
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-13)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 20, 2025

   120 yea, 55 nay (2 not voting, 3 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #49

• natural gas infrastructure
• state financing authority
• utility regulation
• local government liability
• environmental facilities