---
title: HB 712. Ad valorem tax; prohibit property bills from including any nontax related fees or assessments
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb712
cite_as: HB 712, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb712
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb712.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb712/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71095
date: 2025-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb712.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 712
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Sandra Scott
- Viola Davis
- Kim Schofield
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB712/2025
upstream_id: 1990366
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- property taxes
- local government fees
- storm-water fees
- solid waste fees
- tax billing
---
# HB 712. Ad valorem tax; prohibit property bills from including any nontax related fees or assessments
## Text
House Bill 712
By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Davis of the 87th, and Schofield of the 63rd
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 prohibit ad
valorem property tax bills from including any nontax related fees or assessments; to provide
for applicability; to provide for related matters; 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 by adding a new
Code section to read as follows:
"48-5-35.
(a) No bill or assessment for the collection and payment of ad valorem taxes on real
property shall include any nontax related fees or any assessments other than the ad valorem
assessment of the real property itself.
(b) For purposes of this Code section, nontax related fees or assessments shall include, but
shall not be limited to, storm-water service fees; solid waste service fees; fees for water and
waste water; and any late fees, penalties, or interest related to anything other than the ad
valorem taxes on the real property itself. Any collection and any payment of such nontax
related fees or assessments shall be addressed in billings separate from bills or assessments
for the collection and payment of ad valorem taxes on real property.
(c) For purposes of this Code section, nontax related fees or assessments shall not include
any fee, assessment, charge, or cost related to delinquent ad valorem property tax
collections, including, but not limited to, any delinquent ad valorem property tax collection
costs allowed pursuant to Title 15 or 48.
(d) This Code section shall be applicable to all bills and assessments issued on or after
January 1, 2026."
SECTION 2.
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.
A Georgia House bill would bar local governments from bundling non-tax charges like stormwater or trash fees into property tax bills, requiring those charges to be billed separately starting January 1, 2026.
### Plain-language summary
Right now, Georgia local governments can add extra charges, such as storm-water fees, solid waste fees, or water and wastewater fees, onto the same bill as a property owner's ad valorem (property) tax bill. This bill would stop that practice by adding a new section to Georgia's property tax law (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-35).
Under the bill, a property tax bill could only include the actual property tax assessment itself, not other fees or assessments. Fees related to storm-water service, solid waste collection, water and wastewater, and related late fees or penalties would have to appear on a separate bill. An exception is carved out for costs tied to collecting delinquent property taxes, which can still appear on the tax bill. The change would apply to bills and assessments issued on or after January 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-35) barring property tax bills from including any nontax related fees or assessments.
- Defines nontax related fees to include storm-water fees, solid waste fees, water and wastewater fees, and related late fees, penalties, or interest.
- Requires that any such nontax fees be billed separately from the property tax bill itself.
- Exempts costs tied to collecting delinquent property taxes, allowing those to remain on the tax bill.
- Sets the requirement to apply to all bills and assessments issued on or after January 1, 2026.
### Who it affects
Property owners who receive combined tax and fee bills, and local governments and tax commissioners who currently bundle charges like storm-water, solid waste, and water or wastewater fees into property tax bills would need to change their billing systems.
### Why it matters
Property owners would receive separate bills for services like trash pickup or storm-water management instead of one combined tax bill, which could make it easier to see exactly what they are being charged for property taxes versus other services.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 48-5-35(a), prohibiting property tax bills from including any nontax related fees or assessments other than the ad valorem assessment itself.
- Subsection (b) lists examples of covered nontax fees: storm-water service fees, solid waste service fees, water and wastewater fees, and related late fees, penalties, or interest.
- Subsection (c) excludes fees tied to delinquent property tax collection under Title 15 or 48 from the ban.
- Subsection (d) sets the applicability date as bills and assessments issued on or after January 1, 2026.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-06)
- Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Viola Davis, Kim Schofield
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71095
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb712.md?full=1