HB 979: State government; procedures for retrocession of jurisdiction in certain circumstances; provide

Current Georgia law lets the Governor accept 'retrocession,' meaning the federal government handing back some or all of its legal jurisdiction over land it owns in Georgia, based on a simple written notice describing the land. This bill replaces that loose process with detailed requirements: the request must name the requesting official and their authority, clearly state what jurisdiction is being requested, describe the military installation by exact boundaries, and say whether future land added to the base is included. If the Governor accepts, the acceptance and related documents must be filed with the local recording office and copies sent back to the requester. The bill also lets a state agency, local government, or district make a reciprocal agreement with a federal agency to divide duties on jointly governed military land, but only for cases involving people under 17. Separately, the bill adds a new Code section requiring that settlement agreements resolving harassment, discrimination, or retaliation claims against the General Assembly, its chambers, or its members and staff be publicly disclosed with the claimant's name redacted, applied retroactively, while otherwise keeping the General Assembly outside Georgia's open records law (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 through 50-18-78). The law would take effect once the Governor signs it.

• Replaces the current simple written-notice process for retroceding federal jurisdiction over land with a detailed request requirement naming the official, describing the land by exact boundaries, and stating the scope of jurisdiction sought.
• Requires the Governor's acceptance of a retrocession request to specify exactly which parts of the request are accepted and to be filed with the local recording office.
• Allows state agencies, local governments, or districts to enter reciprocal agreements with federal agencies over military installations with concurrent jurisdiction, but only for handling cases involving people under 17.
• Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-79) requiring settlement agreements resolving harassment, discrimination, or retaliation claims against the General Assembly to be made public with the claimant's identity redacted, applied retroactively.
• Keeps the General Assembly generally exempt from Georgia's open records law except for this new settlement-disclosure requirement.
• Sets the effective date as the day the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law.

The Governor's office, federal agencies that control military installations in Georgia, state agencies and local governments near those installations, and people (especially minors) who might be involved in incidents on jointly governed military land. The General Assembly, its members and staff, and people who have filed harassment or discrimination claims against them are also affected by the new disclosure rule.

Georgians living near military bases could see clearer rules for how state and federal authority over those lands is divided, particularly for incidents involving minors. Separately, settlements resolving harassment or discrimination complaints against state lawmakers or legislative staff would become publicly disclosable, with the claimant's name kept private, changing what has been confidential information.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 50-2-27(b) to require the Governor to reject retrocession requests unless they state the requester's name, position, and authority, describe the land by metes and bounds, and clarify jurisdiction scope.
• Section 1 adds subsection (c) requiring the Governor's acceptance to specify accepted elements and be filed with the recording office and sent to the requester.
• Section 1 adds subsection (e) allowing reciprocal duty-sharing agreements between state and federal agencies over concurrent jurisdiction land, limited to alleged acts by people under 17.
• Section 2 creates O.C.G.A. § 50-18-79, requiring public disclosure (with claimant identity redacted) of settlement agreements resolving harassment, discrimination, or retaliation claims against the General Assembly, applied retroactively.
• Section 2 also states this disclosure duty is the only way the General Assembly is subject to the open records law, otherwise exempting it from O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-78.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or the date the bill becomes law without signature.

1. 2026-03-27House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
2. 2026-03-23Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-03-23Senate Third Read (Senate)
4. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
6. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted (House)
8. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)

• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)Primary sponsor
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Scott Holcomb (D, HD-101)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   161 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 13 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #632

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 23, 2026

   50 yea, 1 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #793

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   149 yea, 6 nay (7 not voting, 14 absent)

   Agree To Senate Sub As Am: House Vote #777

• military installations
• state government transparency
• open records law
• legislative accountability
• jurisdiction over federal land