HB 956: Solid Waste Trust Fund; authorize use of funds for implementation of provisions of a solid waste management program

Georgia's Solid Waste Trust Fund (O.C.G.A. § 12-8-27.1) currently can only be spent on specific things: emergency cleanup of contaminant releases from disposal facilities, corrective action when an owner can't or won't act, long-term monitoring of closed facilities, the state's scrap tire management program, and purposes tied to another code section on tire fees. This bill adds a new allowed use. It lets the fund pay for actions needed to carry out Georgia's solid waste management program generally, specifically permitting, monitoring, developing regulations or guidance, inspections, and enforcement. The change is made by amending subsection (c) of the existing law to add this new sixth category alongside the existing ones. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a special effective date beyond the standard process for a signed act.

• Adds a new authorized use for the Solid Waste Trust Fund: implementing Georgia's solid waste management program, not just scrap tires or emergency contamination response.
• Specifically allows fund money to pay for permitting, monitoring, regulation or guidance development, inspections, and enforcement tied to solid waste management.
• Keeps all of the fund's existing allowed uses in place, including emergency response to contaminant releases and the scrap tire program.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which administers the Solid Waste Trust Fund and the state's solid waste program, along with landfill and disposal facility owners and operators, tire carriers and handlers, and local governments that receive grants or loans from the fund.

State regulators would gain a clearer, dedicated funding source to cover the everyday work of overseeing solid waste in Georgia, such as issuing permits and conducting inspections, rather than relying only on funds earmarked for emergencies or tire cleanup.

• Section 1 revises subsection (c) of O.C.G.A. § 12-8-27.1 to add a sixth authorized use of the Solid Waste Trust Fund.
• The new paragraph (6) allows spending on actions necessary to implement a solid waste management program, including permitting, monitoring, regulation or guidance development, inspections, and enforcement.
• The existing four purposes, emergency response, corrective action, postclosure monitoring, and the scrap tire program, remain unchanged and dedicated fund uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause with no substantive effect beyond this bill's own change.

1. 2026-05-06Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-06Act 428
3. 2026-05-06House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-12Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-12Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2026-02-24Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2026-02-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• John Corbett (R, HD-174)Primary sponsor
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 17, 2026

   157 yea, 3 nay (5 not voting, 10 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #519

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 12, 2026

   45 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #713

• solid waste management
• environmental regulation
• state trust funds
• landfill oversight