--- title: HB 516. State government; authorize county and regional library boards to conduct meetings via teleconference collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb516 cite_as: HB 516, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb516 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb516.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb516/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70489 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/hb515.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb517.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1475 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb516.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 516 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: - Kimberly New - Lee Hawkins - Bethany Ballard - Mitchell Scoggins - Holt Persinger - Rob Leverett - Jason Anavitarte text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB516/2025 upstream_id: 1976343 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - public libraries - open meetings law - charter schools - bond financing - local government transparency --- # HB 516. State government; authorize county and regional library boards to conduct meetings via teleconference ## Text 25 HB 516/AP House Bill 516 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives New of the 40th, Hawkins of the 27th, Ballard of the 147th, Scoggins of the 14th, Persinger of the 119th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government,1 so as to designate the Attorney General as an applicable electe d representative who may2 approve issuance of certain private activity bonds; to establish procedures for public notices3 and hearings relative to such bonds; to authorize county and re gional library boards and4 community service boards to conduct teleconference meetings under certain circumstances;5 to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government, is amended9 by adding a new Code section to read as follows: 10 "50-1-14. 11 The Attorney General is designated as an applicable elected representative, as provided for12 in 26 U.S.C. Section 147(f)(2)(E) of the Internal Revenue Code, who may approve the13 issuance of one or more private activity bonds to finance or refinance a state charter school14 facility after a public hearing following reasonable notice in accordance with 26 U.S.C.15 Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code and applicable state and federal rules. Within16 60 days of the Attorney General receiving a written request for a public hearing, he or she17 H. B. 516 - 1 - 25 HB 516/AP or his or her designee shall hold such hearing, as required by 26 U.S.C. Section 147(f) of18 the Internal Revenue Code. Within 30 days of such hearing, the Attorney General shall19 approve the issuance of private activity bonds to finance or refinance a state charter school20 facility if the applicable charter school is authorized by Arti cle 31A of Chapter 2 of21 Title 20 and is an organization described under 26 U.S.C. Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal22 Revenue Code, and such state charter school facility to be financed or refinanced by such23 private activity bonds will be owned or principally used by such state charter school." 24 SECTION 2.25 Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to meetings open26 to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, r ecording, notice of time and27 place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, is amended by re vising subsection (h) as28 follows:29 "(h)(1) The following bodies and committees thereof shall be au thorized to conduct30 meetings by teleconference, provided that any such meeting shal l be considered to be31 conducted in compliance with this chapter so long as the notice required by this chapter32 is provided and, if fewer than a quorum of the members of a body or committee thereof33 are physically present, means have been afforded for the public to have simultaneous34 access to the teleconference meeting:35 (A) Development authorities created pursuant to or authorized by the provisions of36 Chapter 42 or Chapter 62 of Title 36, by or pursuant to Article I X , S e c t i o n V I ,37 Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution, or by or pursuant to any amendment to the38 Constitution continued pursuant to the authority of Article XI, Section I, Paragraph IV39 of the Constitution;40 (B) Community improvement districts created pursuant to the provisions of Article IX,41 Section VII of the Georgia Constitution;42 (C) Hospital authorities created pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 31; and43 H. B. 516 - 2 - 25 HB 516/AP (D) The board of trustees or other governing body of any large retirement system as44 such term is defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-84;45 (E) The board of trustees of any county or regional public library created pursuant to46 Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 20; provided, however, that such meetings:47 (i) Shall be held at a physical location with at least 50 percent of the board members48 physically present; and49 (ii) Shall provide one or more methods for public viewing of s uch meetings and50 providing commentary at such meetings without being physically present at such51 meetings; and52 (F) Community service boards created pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37;53 provided, however, that such meetings:54 (i) Shall be held at a physical location with at least 50 percent of the board members55 physically present; and56 (ii) Shall provide one or more methods for public viewing of s uch meetings and57 providing commentary at such meetings without being physically present at such58 meetings.59 (2) The participation by teleconference of members of such bodies or committees thereof60 means full participation in the same manner as if such members were physically present. 61 In the event such teleconference meeting is a public hearing, and if fewer than a quorum62 of the members of a body or committee thereof are physically present, then members of63 the public shall be afforded the means to participate fully in the same manner as if such64 members of the public were physically present."65 SECTION 3.66 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.67 H. B. 516 - 3 - ## 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 516 lets county and regional library boards and community service boards hold some meetings by teleconference, and puts the Georgia Attorney General in charge of approving certain bonds for state charter school buildings. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's open meetings law (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1) previously allowed only certain bodies, like development authorities and hospital authorities, to hold meetings by teleconference. This bill adds county and regional public library boards and community service boards to that list, but with conditions: at least half the board members must be physically present at a set location, and the public must have a way to watch and comment even if not there in person. The bill also creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-14) naming the Attorney General as the state official who can approve tax-exempt private activity bonds used to build or refinance state charter school facilities, a role required under federal tax law (26 U.S.C. Section 147(f)). The Attorney General must hold a public hearing within 60 days of a written request and decide on the bonds within 30 days after that hearing, if the charter school meets certain legal requirements. ### What it does - Adds county and regional public library boards to the list of bodies allowed to hold teleconference meetings under Georgia's open meetings law (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1). - Adds community service boards to the same list of bodies allowed to meet by teleconference under specific conditions. - Requires that at least 50 percent of a library or community service board's members be physically present at a set location for a teleconference meeting to count. - Requires these boards to offer the public a way to watch the meeting and submit comments without attending in person. - Creates a new law (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-14) making the Attorney General the official who approves private activity bonds for state charter school buildings, with 60-day and 30-day deadlines for holding a hearing and issuing a decision. ### Who it affects County and regional public library boards, community service boards, their staff and members of the public who attend their meetings, the Attorney General's office, and state charter schools seeking bond financing for their facilities. ### Why it matters Library and community service boards would gain more flexibility to meet remotely while still being required to keep a physical quorum and public access, changing how these local government bodies operate day to day. Charter schools seeking bond financing would have a clearer, faster state process for approval. ### Key provisions - Section 1 creates O.C.G.A. § 50-1-14, naming the Attorney General as the approving official for private activity bonds financing state charter school facilities under federal tax law. - Section 1 sets a 60-day deadline for the Attorney General to hold a public hearing after a written request and a 30-day deadline afterward to approve qualifying bond issuances. - Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(h) to add county and regional public library boards (new subparagraph (E)) to the bodies allowed to meet by teleconference. - Section 2 adds community service boards (new subparagraph (F)) to the same teleconference authorization. - Both new categories of boards must hold meetings at a physical location with at least half the members physically present. - Both new categories of boards must provide a way for the public to view meetings and comment without attending in person. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-14) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-14) - Sponsors: Kimberly New, Lee Hawkins, Bethany Ballard, Mitchell Scoggins, Holt Persinger, Rob Leverett, Jason Anavitarte - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70489 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,475 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb516.md?full=1