Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 741: Petrea-Stephens-Franklin-Watson Tax Relief Act; enact
Last action May 9, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 741 would create a new homestead property tax exemption for Bryan County school taxes, freezing the taxable value of a home at its value from the year before the exemption starts. Voters in the Bryan County school district would decide the measure in a November 2025 referendum.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Under current law, a home's assessed value for property tax purposes can rise each year as market values increase, which raises the school tax bill even if the homeowner has not changed anything. This bill would let Bryan County homeowners with a homestead exemption freeze the value used to calculate their Bryan County school district property taxes at the assessed value from the year before they first got the exemption, exempting any increase in value above that base year amount from school taxes. The exemption would not cover new construction, added land, or taxes to pay off school bond debt, and it would not apply to state, county, municipal, or independent school district taxes, only Bryan County school district operating taxes. It would be in addition to other existing homestead exemptions. Because it is a local constitutional homestead exemption, the bill needs a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly and approval by Bryan County school district voters in a November 2025 referendum before taking effect for taxable years starting January 1, 2026. If voters reject it or no valid election occurs, the exemption provision is automatically repealed a year after the election date.
What the bill does
- Creates a homestead exemption from Bryan County school district property taxes equal to the amount by which a home's current assessed value exceeds its 'base year' assessed value.
- Excludes new improvements and newly added land from the exemption, so those increases in value remain taxable.
- Requires homeowners to apply once with the Bryan County tax commissioner, after which the exemption renews automatically each year.
- Lets a surviving spouse keep the exemption as long as they continue living in the home as their homestead.
- Requires a November 2025 referendum of Bryan County school district voters before the exemption can take effect, and sets automatic repeal if voters reject it or the election is not held.
- Limits the exemption to Bryan County school district operating taxes, excluding state, county, municipal, and independent school district taxes, and bond debt taxes.
Who it affects
Homeowners in the Bryan County school district who qualify for a homestead exemption, surviving spouses of exemption holders, the Bryan County tax commissioner's office, the Bryan County election superintendent, and the Bryan County school district, which relies on these property taxes for funding.
Why it matters
Eligible homeowners in Bryan County could see their school tax bills grow more slowly as home values rise, since increases above their base year value would not be taxed for school operating purposes. The change depends on voter approval and would shift how much revenue growth the Bryan County school district can collect from rising property values.
Key provisions
- Section 2 defines 'base year' as the year before a homeowner first receives the exemption and limits 'homestead' to the existing state definition plus up to five contiguous acres.
- Section 2(b) sets the exemption amount as the difference between current year and base year assessed value, excluding new improvements or added land.
- Section 2(c) and (d) require a one-time application with the Bryan County tax commissioner, after which the exemption renews automatically each year.
- Section 2(e) limits the exemption to Bryan County school district educational taxes only, not state, county, municipal, or independent school district taxes.
- Section 2(f) sets the exemption to apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
- Section 3 requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate for the Act to become law, per the Georgia Constitution.
- Section 4 requires a Bryan County school district referendum in November 2025, with automatic repeal of the exemption 365 days after the election if voters reject it or no valid election occurs.
From the bill
“Each resident of the Bryan County school district is granted an exemption on such person's homestead from Bryan County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of such homestead exceeds the base year assessed value”
“If the Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted as provided in this section, Section 2 of this Act shall not become effective, and this Act shall be automatically repealed on the 365th calendar day following the election date”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 96
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
- Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
- Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)
Votes
- House voteMarch 18, 2025
171 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2025
52 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)
Topics
- property taxes
- homestead exemption
- Bryan County
- school funding
- local referendum