---
title: HR 9. General Assembly; create Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund; authorize - CA
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr9
cite_as: HR 9, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr9
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr9.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr9/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69315
date: 2025-01-15
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr10.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr9.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 9
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-01-13
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Angela Moore
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR9/2025
upstream_id: 1916745
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- drinking water safety
- toxic substances
- state budget
- constitutional amendment
- environmental enforcement
---
# HR 9. General Assembly; create Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund; authorize - CA
## Text
House Resolution 9
By: Representative Moore of the 91st
A RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide that
revenue derived from the regulation of safe drinking water and toxic enforcement may be
dedicated for certain purposes and not deposited into the general fund; to authorize the
General Assembly to create the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund; to
provide that such funds shall not lapse; to provide for related matters; to provide for the
submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article III, Section IX of the Constitution is amended in Paragraph VI by adding a new
subparagraph to read as follows:
"(s) The General Assembly may provide by general law for the creation of the Safe
Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund from which funds shall be disbursed for the
enforcement of laws regarding the protection of the citizens of this state from carcinogens
and toxic substances in drinking water and the protection of the citizens of this state from
exposure to carcinogens and toxic substances by businesses in the course of doing business.
The General Assembly shall be authorized to dedicate and deposit revenues raised from
specified sources to the fund and shall be authorized to appropriate other funds to the fund.
Such fund and its proceeds shall not be subject to Article VII, Section III, Paragraph II;
Article III, Section IX, Paragraph VI(a); or Article III, Section IX, Paragraph IV(c) of this
Constitution. The General Assembly is authorized to provide by general law for any
matters relating to the purpose or provisions of this subparagraph."
SECTION 2.
The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as
provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the
above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:
"( ) YES Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as provide that the revenue
( ) NO derived from the regulation of safe drinking water and toxic enforcement may
be dedicated for certain purposes and not deposited into the general fund?"
All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."
All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No." If
such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall
become a part of the Constitution of this state.
## 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 would ask voters to amend the state constitution to let lawmakers create a dedicated Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund, keeping certain fees out of the general state budget.
### Plain-language summary
Right now, most money the state collects generally flows into Georgia's general fund, where lawmakers decide each year how to spend it, and state constitutional rules normally limit how long unspent dollars can be carried forward. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment letting the General Assembly set up a separate fund, called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund, dedicated to paying for enforcement of laws that protect people from cancer-causing chemicals and toxic substances in drinking water and from toxic exposure caused by businesses.
The amendment would let lawmakers direct specific revenue sources into this fund and add other state money to it as well, and would exempt the fund from normal constitutional rules that otherwise require money to lapse back to the general fund or limit dedicated funds. Because this is a constitutional amendment, it must be approved by Georgia voters in a statewide referendum before it can take effect.
### What it does
- Proposes a Georgia constitutional amendment authorizing the General Assembly to create a new dedicated fund for drinking water and toxic substance enforcement.
- Allows lawmakers to direct specific state revenue sources and other appropriated money into this new fund rather than the general fund.
- Exempts the fund from standard constitutional provisions that otherwise require money to lapse or restrict dedicated funds (citing Article VII, Section III, Paragraph II and related sections).
- Sends the proposed amendment to Georgia voters for ratification or rejection in a statewide vote.
### Who it affects
Georgia voters, who must approve or reject the amendment at the ballot box; the General Assembly, which would gain new budgeting authority; state agencies enforcing drinking water and toxic substance laws; and businesses whose activities involve carcinogens or toxic substances.
### Why it matters
If approved, this change would let Georgia set aside dedicated, non-lapsing money specifically for protecting drinking water and limiting toxic exposure, rather than relying on year-to-year general fund budget decisions, potentially giving that enforcement work more stable and predictable funding.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends Article III, Section IX, Paragraph VI of the Georgia Constitution to add a new subparagraph authorizing the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Fund.
- The fund would pay for enforcement of laws protecting citizens from carcinogens and toxic substances in drinking water and from toxic exposure caused by businesses.
- The General Assembly may dedicate specific revenue sources to the fund and also appropriate additional funds to it.
- The fund is exempted from Article VII, Section III, Paragraph II and from Article III, Section IX, Paragraph VI(a) and Paragraph IV(c), which normally govern lapsing and dedicated funds.
- Section 2 requires the proposed amendment to be submitted to voters as a ballot referendum, with the exact ballot question text specified in the resolution.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-13)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-15)
- Sponsors: Angela Moore
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69315
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr9.md?full=1