HB 739: Lawrenceville, City of; annexation of certain territory; provide

House Bill 739 amends Lawrenceville's city charter to add a specific list of parcels, hundreds of tax parcels shown on a city council map, into the city's boundaries. The affected area is described in an attached appendix that identifies the land by tax parcel numbers from the Gwinnett County Board of Tax Assessors' records. The annexation does not happen automatically. The bill requires the Gwinnett County election superintendent to hold a special referendum on the date of the 2026 general primary election, letting residents of the territory being annexed vote yes or no. If a majority approve, the annexation becomes effective December 31, 2026. If a majority reject it, the annexation never takes effect and the law is automatically repealed the following July 1. The City of Lawrenceville must cover any extra cost of adding the question to the ballot.

• Adds a defined list of tax parcels in unincorporated Gwinnett County to the City of Lawrenceville's corporate boundaries under its 2017 charter.
• Requires a special referendum, held on the date of the 2026 general primary, for residents of the annexed territory to approve or reject the annexation.
• Sets December 31, 2026 as the effective date if voters approve, making the annexation contingent on the election result.
• Automatically repeals the annexation if voters reject it, with repeal taking effect the following July 1.
• Requires the City of Lawrenceville to pay any added cost of including the referendum on the county's ballot.
• Requires the election superintendent to certify the referendum results to the Georgia Secretary of State.

Residents and property owners in the specific unincorporated Gwinnett County area listed in the bill's appendix, who would become city residents if the annexation passes; the City of Lawrenceville; and the Gwinnett County election superintendent, who must run the special referendum.

If voters approve, hundreds of properties would shift from unincorporated Gwinnett County into Lawrenceville, changing which government provides services like zoning, policing, and taxation for those residents. If voters reject it, nothing changes and the annexation law expires.

• Section 1 amends the 2017 Lawrenceville charter (Ga. L. 2017, p. 3904) to add a new subsection including the Appendix A parcels within city limits.
• Section 2 directs the Gwinnett County election superintendent to hold a referendum on the 2026 general primary election date, with the ballot question asking voters to approve or reject the annexation.
• Section 2 requires two weeks of published notice of the election date and purpose in the county's official legal organ.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as December 31, 2026 if approved, or automatic repeal the following July 1 if rejected.
• Section 2 requires the City of Lawrenceville to bear any extra cost of the referendum and requires certification of results to the Secretary of State.
• Appendix A lists the specific tax parcel numbers, identified by Gwinnett County Board of Tax Assessors records as of February 12, 2025, that make up the annexation area.

1. 2026-12-31Effective Date
2. 2025-05-14Act 321
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-20Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-18House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Sam Park (D, HD-107)Primary sponsor
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
• Gabe Okoye (D, HD-102)
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
• Segun Adeyina (D, HD-110)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2025

   171 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 3 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #279

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   52 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #291

• Lawrenceville annexation
• Gwinnett County
• local government boundaries
• city charter
• special election referendum