Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 762: Savannah Music Commission Act; enact
Last action May 1, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 762 creates the Savannah Music Commission, a new state public corporation with a nine-member board tasked with promoting Savannah's music industry through festivals, education programs, and industry partnerships.
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
Savannah currently has no dedicated public body focused on building up its music industry. This bill creates the Savannah Music Commission, a public corporation set up by the Georgia General Assembly, to promote the Savannah area as a music destination. The commission would recruit music festivals and concerts, partner with local schools and businesses, seek funding and sponsorships, and advocate for music education. The commission is governed by a nine-member board appointed by Chatham County's legislative delegation, drawn from music professionals, venue owners, arts organization representatives, and city or tourism officials. Members serve three-year terms with a two-term limit. The bill gives the commission broad corporate powers, such as owning property, entering contracts, and accepting donations, and exempts it from paying taxes on its property and income. Lawsuits against the commission must be filed in Chatham County Superior Court.
What the bill does
- Creates the Savannah Music Commission as a public corporation and instrumentality of the State of Georgia, separate from any other existing public body.
- Establishes a nine-member board of directors appointed by Chatham County's state legislators, with seats reserved for music professionals, venue owners, arts representatives, and tourism officials.
- Sets three-year board terms with a two-consecutive-term limit and a one-year waiting period before a member can serve again.
- Grants the commission broad powers including owning and leasing property, entering long-term contracts up to 50 years, suing and being sued, and accepting gifts and government grants.
- Exempts the commission's property, activities, and income from state and local taxes and assessments.
- Requires an independent audit if the commission handles money without using a fiscal agent, and sends lawsuits against it to Chatham County Superior Court.
Who it affects
Chatham County's state legislators, who appoint the board; music producers, artists, venue owners, and arts and tourism officials who may serve on the commission; and Savannah-area schools, businesses, and residents who could be involved in music festivals, concerts, and education programs the commission organizes.
Why it matters
Savannah would gain a formal public entity dedicated to growing its music scene, with legal powers to raise money, own property, and strike long-term deals with businesses and schools. Because it is tax-exempt and government-created, its finances and activities would carry public accountability requirements like audits.
Key provisions
- Section 4 creates the commission as a body corporate and politic, an instrumentality of Georgia with both governmental and proprietary powers.
- Section 5 sets board composition (three music industry members, two venue owners or business leaders, two arts representatives, two city or tourism officials) and three-year term limits.
- Section 6 lists the commission's powers, including contracting without public bidding in many cases, owning property, and entering agreements up to 50 years under the Georgia Constitution's Article IX provisions.
- Section 7 requires the board to act as trustees and mandates an independent audit if the commission spends money without a fiscal agent.
- Section 8 declares the commission a purely public charity and exempts it from taxes and assessments on its property, income, and activities.
- Section 9 requires any lawsuit against the commission to be filed in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
From the bill
“There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the "Savannah Music Commission" which shall be deemed to be a public corporation.”
“The commission shall not be required to pay any taxes or assessments upon any of the property acquired or leased by it or under its jurisdiction, control, possession, or supervision”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 48
- 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
- Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
- Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
- Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
Votes
- House voteMarch 25, 2025
170 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 4 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 28, 2025
53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- Savannah
- music industry
- economic development
- Chatham County
- public corporations