HB 980: Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission; create

Georgia law does not currently have a body focused specifically on trade relations with Ireland. This bill would add a new article to Georgia's commissions law (O.C.G.A. Title 50, Chapter 12) creating the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission. The commission would have 15 members appointed by the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Governor, including state officials, university representatives, business or trade representatives, and members of Georgia's Irish American community. The commission's job would be to encourage trade, investment, business and academic exchanges, and infrastructure cooperation between Georgia and Ireland. Members would serve staggered terms without pay, though they could be reimbursed for expenses. The bill also creates a Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission Fund in the state treasury to hold appropriations, grants, and donations for the commission's work, and requires an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly starting within one year of the commission's first meeting.

• Creates the 15-member Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission within Georgia law, with members appointed by the Speaker, the Senate President, and the Governor.
• Assigns the commission the purpose of advancing trade, investment, policy cooperation, and academic and business exchanges between Georgia and Ireland.
• Sets staggered four-year terms for members, with different initial term lengths depending on who appointed them, and requires appointments within 90 days of enactment.
• Requires the commission to meet, designate a chairperson, and submit a written annual report to the Governor and General Assembly by February 1 each year.
• Establishes the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission Fund in the state treasury to hold appropriations, grants, gifts, and other funds for the commission's expenses.
• Provides that commission members serve without pay but may be reimbursed for actual expenses within available funding.

The bill affects state officials who make appointments, including the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate President, as well as the commissioners of economic development and agriculture. It also affects Georgia university representatives, business and trade organizations, and members of Georgia's Irish American community who may serve on the commission.

If enacted, Georgia would gain a formal, state-sanctioned body dedicated to building trade and investment ties with Ireland, giving businesses, universities, and Irish American communities a structured channel to pursue joint economic and academic projects, backed by a dedicated state fund rather than general agency budgets.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 50-12-140 creating the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission with 15 members: four appointed by the Speaker, four by the Senate President, and seven by the Governor.
• Subsection (a) specifies the Governor's seven appointees include the commissioner of economic development, the Commissioner of Agriculture, two higher education representatives, two Irish American community representatives, and one business or trade representative.
• Subsection (b) sets four-year terms with staggered initial terms: two years for gubernatorial appointees, three years for Senate appointees, and four years for House appointees.
• Subsection (c) requires all initial appointments within 90 days of enactment and fills vacancies the same way as original appointments.
• Subsection (g) lists the commission's purposes, including advancing trade, joint policy action, business and academic exchanges, and infrastructure investment, and requires an annual written report to the Governor and General Assembly by February 1.
• Subsection (h) creates the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission Fund in the state treasury, funded by appropriations, grants, gifts, and other sources, with interest credited back to the fund.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-09Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-06House Passed/Adopted (House)
3. 2026-02-06House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-02House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
5. 2026-01-27House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-01-16House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
• Shea Roberts (D, HD-052)
• Long Tran (D, HD-080)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 6, 2026

   164 yea, 2 nay (2 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #482

• international trade
• economic development
• Georgia-Ireland relations
• state commissions
• business exchanges