--- title: HR 946. State of Georgia; economic leadership and recognizing the importance of transparent, informed decision making; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr946 cite_as: HR 946, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr946 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr946.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr946/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72050 date: 2025-04-02 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/hr945.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr947.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr946.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 946 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-02 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Debbie Buckner - Mary Oliver text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR946/2025 upstream_id: 2019410 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - economic development - data centers - water resources - energy policy - government transparency --- # HR 946. State of Georgia; economic leadership and recognizing the importance of transparent, informed decision making; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3557 House Resolution 946 By: Representatives Buckner of the 137th and Oliver of the 84th A RESOLUTION Commending the State of Georgia for its economic leadership and recognizing the1 importance of transparent, informed decision making; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has been recognized as the No. 1 state in the nation in3 which to do business for 11 consecutive years, a testament to i ts strategic use of natural,4 human, and infrastructure resources; and5 WHEREAS, Georgia is richly blessed with abundant water resource s, the availability and6 wise use of which are vital to the state's public health, economic well-being, and continued7 capacity for growth; and8 WHEREAS, this economic success has been made possible through t he informed9 stewardship of these finite resources by citizens and their rep resentative governments, a10 balance that must continue to be nurtured to preserve and enhan ce prosperity for future11 generations; and12 WHEREAS, Georgia's continued economic success and future develo pment will require13 careful planning for increased energy demand, and it is essenti al that such planning avoid14 imposing undue burdens on current consumers or compromising existing services; and15 H. R. 946 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3557 WHEREAS, for facilities with high resource demands—such as thos e requiring extensive16 energy or water use—it is important to consider not only utilit y infrastructure but also the17 cumulative impact on surrounding communities, including noise a nd other environmental18 factors; and19 WHEREAS, members of the Georgia General Assembly regularly rece ive extensive20 information in the course of their duties, and while the volume can at times exceed what is21 readily absorbed, these materials form a critical foundation fo r representing constituent22 interests, particularly in support of local government decision making; and23 WHEREAS, legislators are frequently made aware of and are able to solicit additional24 information on subjects of local interest with more ease than t heir constituents—an25 advantage that can be wisely employed to the advantage of those affected interests; and26 WHEREAS, a recent example of the need for such transparent info rmation-sharing is the27 growing number of high-tech data centers proposed in diverse lo cations across the state,28 many of which require large quantities of water and electricity, placing significant demands29 on local utilities and public infrastructure; and30 WHEREAS, ensuring the timely release of accurate, factual information about the projected31 economic, employment, fiscal, land use, natural resource, and public utility service impacts32 of such developments is essential to empowering elected officia ls and the public to make33 informed decisions during limited and critical windows of opportunity.34 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that35 the members of this body commend the State of Georgia for its c ontinued nationwide36 H. R. 946 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3557 leadership in economic development and recognize the necessity of balancing progress with37 the responsible stewardship of natural and infrastructural resources.38 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized39 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the40 public and the press.41 H. R. 946 - 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 commends the state for its record as a top place to do business and calls for transparent, timely information about the resource demands of projects like data centers. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change Georgia law. It is a statement from the House of Representatives praising Georgia's standing as the nation's top state to do business for 11 consecutive years, crediting careful management of natural, human, and infrastructure resources for that success. The resolution highlights concerns about future energy and water demand, especially from high-tech data centers being proposed around the state, which can use large amounts of electricity and water and place strain on local utilities. It says lawmakers and the public should get accurate, timely information about the economic, employment, land use, and utility impacts of such projects so officials can make informed decisions. It closes by directing the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Formally commends the State of Georgia for being ranked the top state for business for 11 consecutive years. - States a position that Georgia should balance economic growth with responsible stewardship of water, energy, and infrastructure resources. - Calls attention to the growing number of data centers proposed across the state and their heavy water and electricity use. - Expresses that timely, accurate information on projects' economic, fiscal, land use, and utility impacts should be shared with officials and the public. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available to the public and press. ### Who it affects The resolution speaks broadly to the State of Georgia, its legislators, and local governments, and specifically references data center developers, local utilities, and communities near high resource demand facilities such as data centers. ### Why it matters Because it is a resolution rather than a bill, it creates no new legal requirements or penalties. Its practical effect is to put on record the House's view that information about large projects like data centers should be shared more transparently with officials and residents. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses cite Georgia's 11 consecutive years as the top-ranked state for business. - The whereas clauses identify data centers' high water and electricity use as a growing concern for local utilities and communities. - The resolved clause commends the state for economic leadership and calls for balancing growth with resource stewardship. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Debbie Buckner, Mary Oliver - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72050 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr946.md?full=1