--- title: HR 675. Hatcher, Keith; retirement; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr675 cite_as: HR 675, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr675 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr675.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr675/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71528 date: 2025-03-20 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr674.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr676.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr675.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 675 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-20 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Alan Powell - Dale Washburn - Buddy DeLoach - Butch Parrish - Kasey Carpenter - Gerald Greene text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR675/2025 upstream_id: 2012202 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - legislative commendation - real estate lobbying - retirement resolution - Georgia Association of REALTORS --- # HR 675. Hatcher, Keith; retirement; commend ## Text 25 LC 129 0356 House Resolution 675 By: Representatives Powell of the 33rd, Washburn of the 144th, DeLoach of the 167th, Parrish of the 158th, Carpenter of the 4th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Keith Hatcher upon his retirement; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Keith Hatcher received a bachelor of science degree in political science from2 Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia, in 1985; and3 WHEREAS, Keith Hatcher served as a legislative intern for the former Senator Al Halloway4 during the 1986 session of the Georgia General Assembly; and5 WHEREAS, Keith Hatcher was hired by the Georgia Association of REALTORS (GAR) to6 serve as a lobbyist for the Governmental Affairs Department in June 1986, and led the7 department until 2015; and8 WHEREAS, his lobbying efforts have been instrumental in several crucial legislative9 victories for REALTORS, including the passage of the Commercial Brokers Lien Rights Act10 and the Brokerage Relationship in Real Estate Transactions Act in 1993, the signing into law11 of the Landlord Tenant Act in 1997, the defeat of a proposed real estate transfer tax increase12 in Georgia in 1998, and the passage of legislation to limit the state's use of Eminent Domain13 in 2006; and14 H. R. 675 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0356 WHEREAS, he received the GAR President's Award in 1998 for his tireless efforts in15 defeating the transfer tax increase legislation; and16 WHEREAS, he served as the Chair of the Real Estate Trade Group for multiple legislative17 sessions, Chair of Georgia Chamber of Commerce Environment, Energy, Natural Resources,18 and Water Management committee in 2011; is a member of the Geor gia Chamber of19 Commerce's Governmental Affairs Council Executive Committee; an d has served on the20 Board of Directors for the National Kidney Foundation, serving Georgia and Alabama, since21 2009; and22 WHEREAS, he opened his own consulting firm in 2016, and served multiple clients until his23 retirement in 2024; and 24 WHEREAS, he has worked under six Georgia Governors, six Lieutenant Governors, and six25 Speakers of the House, earning the respect of multiple generations of legislators through his26 honest brokerage and passionate advocacy; and 27 WHEREAS, he has gained acclaim away from the General Assembly a s a result of his28 extraordinary proficiency with a pool stick and his hole in one at Cateechee golf Club.29 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that30 the members of this body recognize and commend Keith Hatcher for his efficient, effective,31 unselfish, and dedicated public service to the State of Georgia ; congratulate him upon the32 grand occasion of his retirement; and extend the most sincere b est wishes for continued33 health and happiness.34 H. R. 675 - 2 - 25 LC 129 0356 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized35 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Keith36 Hatcher.37 H. R. 675 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors Keith Hatcher, a longtime Georgia Association of REALTORS lobbyist, on his retirement, recognizing decades of legislative advocacy on real estate issues. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It commends Keith Hatcher, who led the Governmental Affairs Department of the Georgia Association of REALTORS from 1986 to 2015 and later ran his own consulting firm until retiring in 2024. The resolution recounts his career, including his role in passing the Commercial Brokers Lien Rights Act and the Brokerage Relationship in Real Estate Transactions Act in 1993, the Landlord Tenant Act in 1997, defeating a proposed real estate transfer tax increase in 1998, and helping limit the state's use of eminent domain in 2006. The House formally congratulates him and directs the Clerk to send him a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Keith Hatcher for his career as a lobbyist for the Georgia Association of REALTORS and later as a consultant. - Congratulates Hatcher on his 2024 retirement and extends good wishes for his health and happiness. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Hatcher. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a symbolic honor rather than a legislative mandate. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors one individual, Keith Hatcher, a former lobbyist for the Georgia Association of REALTORS. It has no regulatory effect on real estate agents, landlords, tenants, or any other group. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect on Georgians; it is a formal, ceremonial statement by the House of Representatives thanking one individual for decades of legislative advocacy work related to real estate law in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses summarize Hatcher's education, career at the Georgia Association of REALTORS from 1986 to 2015, and later consulting work until 2024. - The resolving clause formally commends Hatcher for his public service and congratulates him on retirement. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to provide Hatcher with a copy of the resolution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-20) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-20) - Sponsors: Alan Powell, Dale Washburn, Buddy DeLoach, Butch Parrish, Kasey Carpenter, Gerald Greene - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71528 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr675.md?full=1