HR 192: General Assembly; creation and comprehensive regulation of community development districts; provide - CA

Georgia's Constitution currently does not specifically authorize a category of local district built around workforce and residential infrastructure. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would let the General Assembly pass general laws creating and regulating "workforce and residential infrastructure districts." These districts could only be formed with approval from the governing authority of every county and municipality where any part of the district would sit. The districts would exist to build, provide, and expand infrastructure and services tied to workforce and residential development. Their governing bodies could levy taxes, fees, and assessments and take on debt backed by the district's own credit, not the state's, and without following the Constitution's usual debt limits. The districts would not get eminent domain power, and counties and cities would keep control over their own facilities. If approved by the General Assembly, the amendment would go to voters for ratification in a statewide referendum.

• Adds a new section to Article IX of the Georgia Constitution allowing the General Assembly to create workforce and residential infrastructure districts by general law.
• Requires approval from every affected county's and municipality's governing authority before a district can be formed.
• Lets a district's governing body levy taxes, fees, and assessments and incur debt backed by the district itself rather than the state.
• Exempts district debt from the Constitution's usual restrictions on government borrowing found in Article IX, Section V.
• Bars any district's governing body from having or using the power of eminent domain (taking private property for public use).
• Sends the proposed amendment to Georgia voters for ratification or rejection in a statewide referendum.

County and municipal governments, which must approve any new district within their borders; residents and property owners inside a proposed district, who could face new taxes, fees, or assessments; and Georgia voters statewide, who would ultimately decide whether to ratify the amendment.

If ratified, this amendment would give the General Assembly a new tool to create special local districts that can tax, charge fees, and borrow money to build workforce and residential infrastructure, while leaving day-to-day control of county and city facilities untouched and blocking these districts from seizing private property.

• Paragraph I sets the approval requirement: a district can only be created if every affected county and municipal governing authority signs off.
• Paragraph II limits district purpose to creating, providing, and expanding workforce and residential infrastructure services and facilities.
• Paragraph III(a)-(b) requires general law to set up each district's governing body and allows that body to levy taxes, fees, and assessments.
• Paragraph IV lets districts incur debt backed by their own credit and taxing power, exempt from the Constitution's usual state debt limits, and clarifies the state is not liable for that debt.
• Paragraph V preserves local governments' control over their own facilities and services and bans districts from having or exercising eminent domain power.
• Paragraph VI gives the General Assembly authority to regulate, restrict, and limit these districts, including by population size.
• Section 2 sends the amendment to voters with a specific ballot question for ratification or rejection.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2025-03-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2025-02-18House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
5. 2025-02-11House Second Readers (House)
6. 2025-02-10House First Readers (House)
7. 2025-02-06House Hopper (House)

• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)Primary sponsor
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)

• constitutional amendment
• local government
• infrastructure districts
• property taxes
• workforce housing