HB 933: Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority; property held is for public purposes for the benefit of the people of this state; provide

The Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority manages land and facilities at Lake Lanier Islands on behalf of the state. Existing law already said the authority's own activities and bonds are tax-exempt, but this bill goes further by directly declaring that all real and personal property the authority holds or controls is public property held for a public purpose, exempt from property taxes (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-41). The bill also adds a new provision covering leaseholds and other interests the authority grants to outside people or businesses, such as hotel or resort operators leasing authority land. Those leased interests would also be declared public property held for public purposes and exempt from property taxes. The bill rewrites O.C.G.A. § 12-3-339 to add these declarations while keeping the existing tax and bond exemption language, reorganizing it into labeled subsections.

• Declares that all real and personal property held or controlled by the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority is public property exempt from property taxes.
• Adds a new subsection declaring that leaseholds or other interests the authority grants to any person or entity are also public property exempt from property taxes.
• Reorganizes existing Code Section 12-3-339 into labeled subsections (a), (b), and (c) without removing the prior tax and bond exemptions.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with these changes.

The Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, private businesses or individuals who lease land or facilities from the authority (such as resort, marina, or hotel operators), and local governments and school districts that collect property taxes in the area around Lake Lanier Islands.

If a private company leases authority-owned land for a business like a resort, this bill would make that leasehold exempt from local property taxes, which could reduce tax revenue for the surrounding county or school district while lowering costs for the leaseholder.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 12-3-339, adding a new subsection (a) declaring all authority-held real and personal property to be public property exempt from ad valorem property taxes.
• Subsection (b) keeps the existing rule that the authority pays no taxes on its property, activities, income, bonds, or related sales and use taxes.
• New subsection (c) declares that any leasehold or other interest granted by the authority to a person or entity is public property held for a public purpose and exempt from property taxes.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-14House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-13House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-12House Hopper (House)

• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)Primary sponsor
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)

• property taxes
• Lake Lanier Islands
• state authorities
• tax exemptions
• local government revenue