---
title: HB 922. Georgia Boater Bill of Rights; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb922
cite_as: HB 922, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb922
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb922.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb922/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72071
date: 2026-01-12
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb921.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb923.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb922.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 922
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-04-04
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Steven Sainz
- Ron Stephens
- Jaclyn Ford
- Lauren McDonald
- Alan Powell
- Rick Townsend
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB922/2025
upstream_id: 2020912
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- boating access
- electric vehicles
- local government authority
- watercraft regulation
- Department of Natural Resources
---
# HB 922. Georgia Boater Bill of Rights; enact
## Text
House Bill 922
By: Representatives Sainz of the 180th, Stephens of the 164th, Ford of the 170th, McDonald
III of the 26th, Powell of the 33rd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions regarding identification and regulation of motor vehicles and
traffic, so as to prohibit local governments from regulating energy sources of motor vehicles
and watercraft; to provide for definitions; to amend Chapter 7 of Title 52 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated, relating to registration, operation, and sale of watercraft, so as to
create and establish a purpose for the Georgia Boating Access Task Force; to provide for
duties related to ensuring safe and adequate boating access on any waters of this state; to
provide for composition and manner of appointment of such task force and compensation
for members; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Boater Bill of Rights."
SECTION 2.
Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding identification and regulation of motor vehicles and traffic, is
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"40-1-10.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Energy source' means any source of energy used for propulsion, powering, or other
functions of a motor vehicle or watercraft. Such term shall include, but shall not be
limited to, gasoline, diesel fuel, electricity, hydrogen, and solar power.
(2) 'Motor vehicle' means a self-propelled vehicle designed for use on public highways.
(3) 'Watercraft' means any vessel or craft designed for navigation on water, including,
but not limited to, boats and small crafts.
(b) No state agency or local governing body shall restrict the use or sale of a motor vehicle
or watercraft based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle or watercraft."
SECTION 3.
Chapter 7 of Title 52 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to registration,
operation, and sale of watercraft, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 4
52-7-90.
As used in this article, the term:
(1) 'Commissioner' means the commissioner of natural resources.
(2) 'Department' means the Department of Natural Resources.
(3) 'Task force' means the Georgia Boating Access Task Force established pursuant to
Code Section 52-7-91.
52-7-91.
(a) There is established within the department a Georgia Boating Access Task Force for
the purpose of ensuring safe and adequate boating access on any waters of this state. All
affected state agencies shall cooperate with the task force in its efforts to meet such
objective. This subsection shall not be construed to authorize the task force to perform any
function currently performed by an affected state agency.
(b) The task force shall:
(1) Coordinate with relevant local, state, and federal agencies to provide and enforce
boating access safety rules and regulations;
(2) Conduct evaluations of existing public boating access points to identify areas with
inadequate access and develop recommendations to address these inadequacies; and
(3) Identify, mitigate, and suppress threats from aquatic invasive species while
preserving boating access on any waters of this state.
52-7-92.
(a) The task force shall be composed of eight members as follows:
(1) The commissioner or his or her designee, who shall serve as the chairperson;
(2) One representative from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, to be
appointed by the Governor;
(3) One representative from the Department of Transportation, to be appointed by the
Governor;
(4) One representative from the Georgia Municipality Association, to be appointed by
the Governor; and
(5) Four industry experts or stakeholders knowledgeable of the subject matter with which
the task force is concerned, to be appointed by the Governor.
(b) All members of the task force shall serve terms of four years and until his or her
successor is appointed. The commissioner shall make appointments to fill the unexpired
portion of any term vacated for any reason. In making such appointments, the
commissioner shall preserve the composition of the task force as required by this Code
section.
(c)(1) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but shall receive the
same daily expense allowance as members of the General Assembly receive, as set forth
in Code Section 28-1-8, for each day such member is in physical attendance at a panel
meeting or hearing, plus either reimbursement for actual transportation costs while
traveling by public transportation or the same mileage allowance for use of a personal
motor vehicle in connection with such attendance as members of the General Assembly
receive.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, no member shall receive such
expense allowance or travel reimbursement if he or she is entitled to receive an expense
allowance, travel reimbursement, or salary for performance of duties as a state employee.
(3) Expense allowances and travel reimbursement shall be paid from moneys
appropriated or otherwise available to the task force.
52-7-93.
The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to
implement and administer the provisions of this article."
SECTION 4.
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.
House Bill 922 would bar Georgia state and local governments from restricting motor vehicles or watercraft based on their energy source, and would create a new task force to study and improve boating access on state waters.
### Plain-language summary
HB922, called the 'Georgia Boater Bill of Rights,' does two main things. First, it adds a new section to Georgia's traffic laws saying no state agency or local government can restrict the use or sale of a motor vehicle or watercraft because of the type of energy that powers it, whether that's gasoline, diesel, electricity, hydrogen, or solar power. This would block cities, counties, or state agencies from banning or limiting vehicles or boats based on their fuel or power source.
Second, the bill creates the Georgia Boating Access Task Force inside the Department of Natural Resources. The eight-member task force, chaired by the commissioner of natural resources, would coordinate boating safety rules, evaluate public boat access points around the state, and work to control invasive aquatic species while preserving access. Members would serve four-year terms and receive only expense reimbursement, not salary. The commissioner could issue rules to carry out the task force's work.
### What it does
- Prohibits state agencies and local governments from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles or watercraft based on their energy source, such as gasoline, electricity, or solar power.
- Creates the Georgia Boating Access Task Force within the Department of Natural Resources to ensure safe and adequate boating access on Georgia waters.
- Assigns the task force duties including coordinating boating safety enforcement, evaluating existing boat access points, and addressing threats from invasive aquatic species.
- Sets the task force's membership at eight people, including the commissioner as chair, a county government representative, a Department of Transportation representative, a municipal representative, and four industry stakeholders, all appointed by the Governor except the chair.
- Limits task force member compensation to daily expense allowances and travel reimbursement matching what state legislators receive, unless the member is already paid as a state employee.
- Authorizes the commissioner of natural resources to write rules needed to carry out the task force's work.
### Who it affects
Boat owners and motor vehicle owners in Georgia, local city and county governments, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the Georgia Municipality Association, and industry stakeholders who could serve on the new task force.
### Why it matters
The energy-source provision would prevent any Georgia city, county, or state agency from banning or limiting vehicles or boats based on fuel type, such as restricting gas-powered boats or requiring electric vehicles. The new task force could lead to concrete changes in where and how boaters can access public waters statewide.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Georgia Boater Bill of Rights.'
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 40-1-10, defining 'energy source,' 'motor vehicle,' and 'watercraft,' and barring state or local restrictions on vehicles or watercraft based on energy source.
- Section 3 adds a new Article 4 to Chapter 7 of Title 52, creating the Georgia Boating Access Task Force under the Department of Natural Resources (Code Section 52-7-91).
- Section 3 sets the task force's mission to coordinate boating safety enforcement, evaluate boat access points, and address invasive aquatic species (Code Section 52-7-91(b)).
- Section 3 sets task force composition at eight members with four-year terms and defines compensation limited to expense and mileage reimbursement (Code Section 52-7-92).
- Section 3 authorizes the commissioner of natural resources to issue rules to implement the article (Code Section 52-7-93).
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-04-04)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: Steven Sainz, Ron Stephens, Jaclyn Ford, Lauren McDonald, Alan Powell, Rick Townsend
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72071
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb922.md?full=1