--- title: HB 74. Georgia Lottery for Education Act; correct a reference; provisions collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb74 cite_as: HB 74, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb74 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb74.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb74/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69406 date: 2025-05-09 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/hb73.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb75.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 943 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb74.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 74 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-09 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-09 sponsors: - Alan Powell - Dale Washburn - Rick Jasperse - David Wilkerson - Mary Oliver - Matt Reeves - Clint Dixon text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB74/2025 upstream_id: 1926215 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Lottery Corporation - coin operated amusement machines - administrative procedure - gambling regulation --- # HB 74. Georgia Lottery for Education Act; correct a reference; provisions ## Text 25 LC 28 0645/AP House Bill 74 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Powell of the 33rd, Washburn of the 144th, Jasperse of the 11th, Wilkerson of the 38th, Oliver of the 84th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Georgia1 Lottery for Education Act," so as to correct a reference; to provide for the application of the2 provisions of the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act to certa in provisions of the Code3 relating to bona fide coin operated amusement machines; to provide for exemptions from the4 Georgia Administrative Procedure Act regarding the Georgia Lottery Corporation for certain5 matters not related to bona fide coin operated amusement machines; to provide for related6 matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Georgia Lottery for10 Education Act," is amended by revising paragraph (19) of subsec tion (a) of Code11 Section 50-27-9, relating to general powers of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, as follows:12 "(19) To adopt and amend such regulations, policies, and proced ures as necessary to13 carry out and implement its powers and duties, organize and ope rate the corporation,14 regulate the conduct of lottery games in general, and any other matters necessary or15 desirable for the efficient and effective operation of the lottery or the convenience of the16 H. B. 74 - 1 - 25 LC 28 0645/AP public. The promulgation of any such regulations, policies, and procedures pursuant to17 this article and Article 2 of this chapter shall be exempt from the requirements of18 Chapter 13 of this title, the 'Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.' Notwithstanding any19 other provision of law to the contrary, (1) the promulgation of any form of licensure,20 rules, regulations, policies, or procedures under Article 3 of this chapter, and (2) all21 administrative hearings related to any dispute between licensees regarding Article 3 of22 this chapter, except as otherwise specifically provided by law, shall be subject to and23 governed by the provisions of Chapter 13 of this title. Hearin gs under Code Section24 50-27-102 shall be held in accordance with the provisions of Pa r t 1 o f A r t i c l e 1 o f25 Chapter 9 of Title 9, the 'Georgia Arbitration Code.' All othe r hearings and any rules,26 regulations, policies, or procedures related to the administrat ion, enforcement, or27 violation of this article shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 13 of this title."28 SECTION 2.29 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law30 without such approval.31 SECTION 3.32 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.33 H. B. 74 - 2 - ## 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 74 rewrites part of Georgia's lottery law to spell out when the Georgia Lottery Corporation must follow the state's standard rulemaking process and when it can skip it, mainly affecting rules for coin operated amusement machines. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's lottery law (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-9) lets the Georgia Lottery Corporation write its own regulations, policies, and procedures to run the lottery. Under current law, most of that rulemaking is exempt from the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 13 of Title 50), which normally requires public notice and comment before an agency adopts a rule. This bill rewrites paragraph (19) of that section. It keeps the general exemption for day-to-day lottery game rules, but now says that any licensing rules or procedures for bona fide coin operated amusement machines (COAM), along with hearings between licensees fighting over COAM issues, must follow the full Administrative Procedure Act process. It also says hearings under a specific dispute provision (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-102) must instead follow the Georgia Arbitration Code. The change takes effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law. ### What it does - Rewrites O.C.G.A. § 50-27-9(a)(19) to correct a cross-reference within the Georgia Lottery for Education Act. - Keeps most Georgia Lottery Corporation regulations, policies, and procedures exempt from the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act's notice-and-comment rules. - Requires licensing rules and procedures for coin operated amusement machines (COAM) under Article 3 to follow the full Administrative Procedure Act process. - Requires administrative hearings between licensees over Article 3 (COAM) disputes to follow the Administrative Procedure Act, with limited exceptions. - Directs that hearings held under O.C.G.A. § 50-27-102 follow the Georgia Arbitration Code instead of the Administrative Procedure Act. - Sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature. ### Who it affects The Georgia Lottery Corporation, which writes and enforces its own rules; businesses and individuals licensed to operate coin operated amusement machines (COAM), such as convenience stores and arcades; and licensees involved in disputes over COAM rules who would go through formal administrative hearings. ### Why it matters The change determines how much public process and formal hearing rights apply when the Georgia Lottery Corporation sets rules for coin operated amusement machines, an industry with real money and licensing stakes, versus its broader authority to manage lottery games without those procedural requirements. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises paragraph (19) of subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 50-27-9, the general powers provision for the Georgia Lottery Corporation. - Keeps general lottery game rulemaking exempt from the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 13 of Title 50). - Makes COAM licensure rules and Article 3 licensee disputes subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, overriding the general exemption for those specific matters. - States that hearings under O.C.G.A. § 50-27-102 follow the Georgia Arbitration Code (O.C.G.A. Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 9) rather than the Administrative Procedure Act. - Section 2 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the bill otherwise becoming law without signature. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-09) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-09 (2025-05-09) - Sponsors: Alan Powell, Dale Washburn, Rick Jasperse, David Wilkerson, Mary Oliver, Matt Reeves, Clint Dixon - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69406 > The history, votes, and amendments (943 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb74.md?full=1