---
title: HB 51. Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties for projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb51
cite_as: HB 51, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb51
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb51.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb51/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69348
date: 2026-01-12
status: engrossed
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/hb50.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb52.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 686
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb51.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 51
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-20
last_action: Senate Recommitted
sponsors:
  - James Burchett
  - John Corbett
  - Gerald Greene
  - Angie O'Steen
  - Jaclyn Ford
  - Carden Summers
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB51/2025
upstream_id: 1919119
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - natural gas infrastructure
  - Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
  - local government financing
  - utility regulation
---

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

## Text

25 LC 47 3374S
House Bill 51 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Burchett of the 176th, Corbett of the 174th, Greene of the 154th, O’Steen
of the 169th, and Ford of the 170th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the1
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, so as to authorize the authority to finance and2
perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities; to revise3
definitions; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for limited liability; to provide4
for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other5
purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotate d, relating to the Georgia9
Environmental Finance Authority, is amended in Code Section 50- 23-4, relating to10
definitions, by revising paragraphs (5), (6), (10.1), and (10.2) and adding a new paragraph11
to read as follows:12
"(5) 'Environmental facilities' means any projects, structures, and other real or personal13
property acquired, rehabilitated, constructed, or planned:14
(A) For the purposes of supplying, distributing, and treating water and diverting,15
channeling, or controlling water flow and head including, but not limited to, surface or16
H. B. 51 (SUB)
- 1 -
25 LC 47 3374S
ground water, canals, reservoirs, channels, basins, dams, aqued ucts, standpipes,17
penstocks, conduits, pipelines, mains, pumping stations, water distribution systems,18
compensating reservoirs, intake stations, waterworks or sources of water supply, wells,19
purification or filtration plants or other treatment plants and works, connections, water20
meters, mechanical equipment, electric generating equipment, ri ghts of flowage or21
division and other plant structures, equipment, conveyances, real or personal property22
or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto23
necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyan ce, distribution,24
pumping, treatment, storing, or disposing of water;25
(B) For the purposes of collecting, treating, or disposing of sewage including, but not26
limited to, main, trunk, intercepting, connecting, lateral, outlet, or other sewers, outfall,27
pumping stations, treatment and disposal plants, ground water r echange basins,28
backflow prevention devices, sludge dewatering or disposal equipment and facilities,29
clarifiers, filters, phosphorus removal equipment and other pla nts, soil absorption30
systems, innovative systems or equipment, structures, equipment , vehicles,31
conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein, and a ppurtenances thereto32
necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, pumping, treatment,33
neutralization, storing, and disposing of sewage;34
(C) For the purposes of collecting, treating, recycling, compo sting, or disposing of35
solid waste, including, but not limited to, trucks, dumpsters, intermediate reception36
stations or facilities, transfer stations, incinerators, shredders, treatment plants, landfills,37
landfill equipment, barrels, binders, barges, alternative techn ologies and other plant38
structures, equipment, conveyances, improvements, real or personal property or rights39
therein, and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto necessary or40
useful and convenient for the collection, treatment, or disposal of solid waste; or41
(D) For the purposes of carrying out a community land conservation project or a state42
land conservation project pursuant to Chapter 22 of Title 36; or43
H. B. 51 (SUB)
- 2 -
25 LC 47 3374S
(E) For the purposes of storing, supplying, and distributing n atural gas outside any44
certified area of a nonmunicipal gas company, as such term is defined in paragraph (5)45
of Code Section 46-1-1, including, but not limited to, pipeline s, storage tanks and46
facilities, natural gas distribution systems, equipment, vehicl es, conveyances, real or47
personal property or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishi ngs, accessories, and48
devices thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the stor age, supply, and49
distribution of natural gas.50
(6) 'Environmental services' means the provision, collectively or individually, of water51
facilities, sewerage facilities, solid waste facilities, natural gas facilities, community land52
conservation projects or state land conservation projects pursuant to Chapter 22 Title 36,53
or management services."54
"(10.1) 'Natural gas facility' means any environmental facility described in subparagraph55
(E) of paragraph (5) of this Code section.56
(10.2) 'Nongovernmental entity' means a nonprofit organization the primary purposes of57
which are the permanent protection and conservation of land and natural resources.58
(10.2)(10.3) 'Nonprofit corporation' means any corporation qualified as a not for profit59
corporation by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4)60
of the Internal Revenue Code."61
SECTION 2.62
Said chapter is further amended in subsection (b) of Code Secti on 50-23-5, relating to63
purpose, powers, and duties, by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (33), by deleting the64
period and substituting in lieu thereof "; and" at the end of s ubparagraph (J) of paragraph65
(34), and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:66
"(35) To promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry ou t the purposes of this67
chapter."68
H. B. 51 (SUB)
- 3 -
25 LC 47 3374S
SECTION 3.69
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 50-23-12, relat ing to personal liability of70
members, officers, and employees of the authority, by revising paragraph (2) as follows:71
"(2) The construction, ownership, maintenance, or operation of any solid waste system,72
sewerage system, natural gas system, environmental facility, or water system owned by73
a local government; or"74
SECTION 4.75
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law76
without such approval.77
SECTION 5.78
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.79
H. B. 51 (SUB)
- 4 -

## 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 51 would let the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority help finance and build natural gas storage and distribution facilities outside the areas served by regulated gas companies, expanding its role beyond water and sewage projects.

### Plain-language summary

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) currently helps local governments finance water, sewer, and solid waste projects. This bill expands GEFA's authority to include natural gas facilities, specifically pipelines, storage tanks, distribution systems, and related equipment used for storing, supplying, and distributing natural gas outside the certified service area of a nonmunicipal gas company as defined under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 46-1-1).
The bill updates several definitions in GEFA's governing law (O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4) to add natural gas facilities and services to the list of environmental facilities and services GEFA can support, and adds a definition for a related nongovernmental land conservation entity. It also gives GEFA authority to write its own rules and regulations to carry out its duties, and extends the personal liability protection that already covers officials for local government water and sewer systems to also cover natural gas systems. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

### What it does

- Adds natural gas storage, supply, and distribution facilities to the definition of 'environmental facilities' that GEFA can finance and help build.
- Expands the definition of 'environmental services' to include natural gas facilities alongside water, sewer, and solid waste services.
- Grants GEFA the power to create its own rules and regulations to carry out its duties under this law.
- Extends limited personal liability protection for GEFA members, officers, and employees to cover natural gas systems owned by local governments, not just water, sewer, and solid waste systems.
- Adds a new definition for 'nongovernmental entity' covering nonprofits focused on land and natural resource conservation.

### Who it affects

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and its staff and board members; local governments seeking financing for natural gas infrastructure outside areas served by regulated nonmunicipal gas companies; and nonprofit land conservation organizations referenced in the updated definitions.

### Why it matters

Local governments outside areas served by regulated gas companies could gain a new state financing tool to build natural gas pipelines and storage systems, similar to existing help with water and sewer projects. It also shields GEFA officials from personal liability tied to those new natural gas projects.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4 to add natural gas storage, supply, and distribution infrastructure to the definition of 'environmental facilities,' covering pipelines, storage tanks, and distribution systems outside a nonmunicipal gas company's certified area.
- Section 1 also adds 'natural gas facilities' to the definition of 'environmental services' and defines 'natural gas facility' and 'nongovernmental entity' as new terms.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-5 to give GEFA's board the power to 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 systems to the list of local government facilities for which GEFA officials have limited personal liability.
- Section 4 makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without his signature.
- Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Engrossed (2025-02-20)
- Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: James Burchett, John Corbett, Gerald Greene, Angie O'Steen, Jaclyn Ford, Carden Summers
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69348

> The history, votes, and amendments (686 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb51.md?full=1