---
title: HB 547. Revenue and taxation; bona fide conservation use property; permit combination of multiple covenants into a single, new, ten-year covenant
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb547
cite_as: HB 547, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb547
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb547.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb547/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70584
date: 2026-03-25
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 596
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb547.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 547
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-06
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Charles Cannon
- Robert Dickey
- John Corbett
- Steven Meeks
- David Huddleston
- Joe Campbell
- Randy Robertson
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB547/2025
upstream_id: 1978364
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- property taxes
- conservation use covenants
- carbon sequestration
- farmland and forestry taxation
---
# HB 547. Revenue and taxation; bona fide conservation use property; permit combination of multiple covenants into a single, new, ten-year covenant
## Text
House Bill 547 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Cannon of the 172nd, Dickey of the 134th, Corbett of the 174th, Meeks
of the 178th, Huddleston of the 72nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions regarding ad valorem taxation of property, so as to revise the
definition of bona fide conservation use property to include carbon sequestration; to permit
the combination of multiple covenants of a single owner into a single, new, ten-year
covenant; to provide for exceptions; to provide for the change of forest land use assessment
property to current use assessment property after a transfer of ownership; to provide for
related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws;
and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding ad valorem taxation of property, is amended in Code Section
48-5-7.4, relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona
fide residential transitional property, by revising subparagraph (a)(1)(F) and adding a new
subsection to read as follows:
"(F) The primary purpose described in this paragraph includes land conservation and
ecological forest management in which commercial production of wood and wood fiber
products may be undertaken primarily for conservation and restoration purposes rather
than financial gain. Such property may, in addition, have as a secondary use carbon
sequestration in accordance with the Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry or a carbon
sequestration program; or"
"(e.1)(1) A single owner, as described in subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section,
who has multiple parcels of bona fide conservation use property that are collectively
subject to more than one valid covenant under this Code section may combine such
parcels and covenants in whole under a single, new, ten-year covenant for bona fide
conservation use without constituting a breach of any of the covenants, provided that all
such property would be otherwise eligible to be placed under a renewal covenant under
this Code section by the owner upon the natural expiration of the original covenant.
(2) The provisions of this subsection shall not be permitted or be construed to:
(A) Allow any portion of property held under a covenant to be removed from the
covenant without being combined into the new covenant;
(B) Change any requirements for what constitutes qualified property; or
(C) Change any requirements for what constitutes qualifying use for purposes of this
Code section.
(3) A single owner, as described in subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section, desiring
to proceed with combining parcels pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall first
file a real property tax return with the appropriate board of tax assessors on or before the
deadline to file a real property tax return.
(4) Parcels on which delinquent taxes are owed shall not be eligible to be combined
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended in Code Section 48-5-7.7, relation to preferential assessment
for forest land conservation use property, by revising subsection (f) as follows:
"(f)(1) A qualified owner shall not be authorized to make application for and receive
conservation use assessment under this Code section for any property which at the time
of such application is receiving preferential assessment under Code Section 48-5-7.1 or
current use assessment under Code Section 48-5-7.4; provided, however, that, if any
property is subject to a covenant under either of those Code sections, it may be changed
from such covenant and placed under a covenant under this Code section if it is otherwise
qualified. Any such change shall terminate the existing covenant and shall not constitute
a breach thereof. No property may be changed more than once under this paragraph.
(2) Any property that is subject to a covenant under this Code section and subsequently
fails to adhere to the qualifying purpose, as defined in paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of
this Code section, may be changed from the covenant under this Code section and placed
under a covenant provided for in Code Section 48-5-7.4 if the property otherwise
qualifies under the provisions of that Code section. In such a case, the existing covenant
under this Code section shall be terminated, and the change shall not constitute a breach
thereof. No property may be changed more than once under this paragraph.
(3) A qualified owner under this Code section may obtain ownership of property
receiving preferential assessment under Code Section 48-5-7.1 or current use assessment
under Code Section 48-5-7.4 and have 180 days from the time ownership is acquired to
change from such covenant and place under a covenant under this Code section if it is
otherwise qualified and would not constitute a breach thereof even if the qualified owner
does not qualify for the preferential assessment under Code Section 48-5-7.1 or current
use assessment under Code Section 48-5-7.4."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval and shall be applicable to all taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2027.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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 547 would let Georgia landowners combine multiple conservation-use property tax covenants into one new ten-year covenant, and would allow carbon sequestration as a secondary use on that land.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia landowners who enroll property in a conservation use covenant get a preferential, lower property tax assessment (under O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7.4) in exchange for keeping the land in a qualifying use, like farming or forestry, for ten years. This bill changes that program in a few ways. It expands the definition of conservation use to say that land can also be used secondarily for carbon sequestration, meaning storing carbon in soil or vegetation under a recognized registry or program, without losing its preferential status.
The bill also lets an owner who has several parcels under separate, valid covenants combine them all into one new ten-year covenant, as long as none of the property is removed from coverage and the owner still meets all the usual eligibility rules. Owners must file a new property tax return to start this process, and parcels with delinquent taxes cannot be combined. A separate section gives new owners of forest land conservation property 180 days after acquiring it to switch covenant types. The changes would apply to tax years starting on or after January 1, 2027.
### What it does
- Adds carbon sequestration as an allowed secondary use of bona fide conservation use property, alongside existing conservation and forestry purposes.
- Allows a single owner with multiple parcels under separate conservation use covenants to merge them into one new ten-year covenant without it counting as a breach of the old covenants.
- Requires an owner combining covenants to first file a real property tax return with the county board of tax assessors by the normal filing deadline.
- Bars parcels with delinquent taxes from being combined into a new covenant.
- Gives new owners of forest land conservation use property 180 days after acquiring the land to switch it to a different qualifying covenant without triggering a breach.
- Sets the changes to apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027.
### Who it affects
Landowners enrolled in Georgia's conservation use or forest land conservation use property tax programs, especially those with multiple parcels under separate covenants, county boards of tax assessors who process the new combination filings, and buyers who newly acquire forest land conservation property.
### Why it matters
Landowners with several separate covenants would gain a simpler way to consolidate their conservation tax breaks into one covenant instead of tracking multiple expiration dates, and could also add carbon credit activity to qualifying land. County tax offices would need to process a new type of filing and verify delinquent taxes before allowing combinations.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7.4(a)(1)(F) to allow carbon sequestration as a secondary use under the Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry or another carbon sequestration program.
- Section 1 adds new subsection (e.1) letting a single owner combine multiple parcels under separate valid covenants into one new ten-year covenant, provided all parcels would otherwise qualify for renewal.
- Section 1 clarifies the combination process cannot be used to remove property from coverage, change qualifying property requirements, or change qualifying use requirements.
- Section 1 requires the owner to file a real property tax return with the board of tax assessors by the normal deadline before combining covenants, and bars parcels with delinquent taxes from combination.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 48-5-7.7(f) to give an owner who newly acquires forest land conservation property 180 days to switch it into a covenant under that Code section.
- Section 3 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature, applicable to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-06)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Charles Cannon, Robert Dickey, John Corbett, Steven Meeks, David Huddleston, Joe Campbell, Randy Robertson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70584
> The history, votes, and amendments (596 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb547.md?full=1