---
title: HB 933. Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority; property held is for public purposes for the benefit of the people of this state; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb933
cite_as: HB 933, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb933
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb933.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb933/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72131
date: 2026-01-14
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb933.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 933
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-12
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Lee Hawkins
- Brent Cox
- Matt Dubnik
- Soo Hong
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB933/2025
upstream_id: 2071945
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- property taxes
- Lake Lanier Islands
- state authorities
- tax exemptions
- local government revenue
---
# HB 933. Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority; property held is for public purposes for the benefit of the people of this state; provide
## Text
House Bill 933
By: Representatives Hawkins of the 27th, Dunahoo of the 31st, Cox of the 28th, Clark of the
100th, Dubnik of the 29th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, so as to provide that
property held by the authority and that leaseholds and other interest in such property granted
by the authority are public property held for public purposes for the benefit of the people of
this state; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, is amended by revising Code
Section 12-3-339, relating to authority property, activities, income, and bonds exempt from
taxation and assessment, as follows:
"12-3-339.
(a) It is found, determined, and declared that the creation of the authority and the carrying
out of its corporate purposes are in all respects for the benefit of the people of this state and
constitute a public purpose and that the authority will be performing an essential
governmental function in the exercise of the power conferred upon it by this part. All real
and personal property and improvements held by or under the jurisdiction or control of the
authority are public property held for public purposes for the benefit of the people of this
state exempt from ad valorem property taxes pursuant to Code Section 48-5-41.
(b) This state covenants with the holders of the bonds that the authority shall be required
to pay no taxes or assessments upon any of the property acquired or leased by it or under
its jurisdiction, control, possession, or supervision, or upon its activities in the operation
or maintenance of the buildings erected or acquired by it, or upon any fees, rentals, or other
charges for the use of such buildings, or upon other income received by the authority.
Further, this state covenants that the bonds of the authority, their transfer, and the income
therefrom shall at all times be exempt from taxation within the state. The exemption
provided in this Code section subsection shall include an exemption from state and local
sales and use tax on property purchased by the authority for use exclusively by the
authority.
(c) Any leaseholds or other interest in real property granted by the authority to any person
or entity are determined and declared to be created for the benefit of the people of this state
and constitute public property held for public purposes for the benefit of the people of this
state exempt from ad valorem property taxes pursuant to Code Section 48-5-41."
SECTION 2.
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.
A Georgia House bill would declare that property controlled by the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, and any leases or other interests it grants to private parties, count as public property exempt from local property taxes.
### Plain-language summary
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.
### What it does
- 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.
### Who it affects
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.
### Why it matters
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.
### Key provisions
- 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.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-12)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-14)
- Sponsors: Lee Hawkins, Brent Cox, Matt Dubnik, Soo Hong
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72131
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb933.md?full=1