SB 13: Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) currently helps finance water, sewer, solid waste, and land conservation projects around the state. This bill adds two new categories it can work on: building and operating natural gas storage and distribution systems outside a nonmunicipal gas company's certified service area, and converting aboveground electrical lines to underground lines. The bill rewrites several definitions in Georgia's GEFA law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 23 of Title 50) to include these new project types under 'environmental facilities' and 'environmental services,' and adds a formal definition of 'natural gas facility.' It also gives GEFA explicit authority to write rules and regulations to carry out its duties, and extends the law's existing limited liability protection for authority members, officers, and employees to cover natural gas systems owned by local governments. The law took effect once the Governor signed it.

• Adds natural gas storage, supply, and distribution projects (outside a nonmunicipal gas company's certified area) to the list of projects GEFA can finance and manage.
• Adds conversion of aboveground electrical lines to underground lines as a new category of eligible environmental facility.
• Creates a formal legal definition of 'natural gas facility' tied to the new project category.
• Gives GEFA explicit authority to adopt rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of its governing chapter.
• Extends the law's limited liability protection for authority members, officers, and employees to include natural gas systems owned by local governments.
• Sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority itself, local governments that might build or own natural gas systems or underground electrical lines with the authority's help, nonmunicipal gas companies whose certified service areas are referenced, and authority members, officers, and employees who receive liability protection.

By adding natural gas and undergrounding projects to GEFA's toolbox, local governments gain a new state-affiliated financing and management option for these projects, similar to how they already use GEFA for water and sewer work. This could affect how such infrastructure gets funded and built outside existing gas utility territories.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4 definitions, adding natural gas storage, supply, and distribution facilities and electrical line undergrounding to the definition of 'environmental facilities.'
• Section 1 adds a new definition of 'natural gas facility' tied to the newly created subparagraph (F) project category.
• Section 1 updates 'environmental services' to explicitly include natural gas facilities and conversion of overhead lines to underground lines.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-5 to add a new paragraph (35) giving the authority power to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry out the chapter's purposes.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-12 to add 'natural gas system' to the list of local government owned systems covered by the authority's personal liability protections.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or the date the bill becomes law without approval.
• Section 5 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date
2. 2025-05-14Act 306
3. 2025-05-14Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-27Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-21House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Carden Summers (R, SD-13)Primary sponsor
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-19)
• John Albers (R, SD-56)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
• John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-3)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-2)
• Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
• Max Burns (R, SD-23)
• Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
• David Lucas (D, SD-26)
• Larry Walker, III (R, SD-20)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-21)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 24, 2025

   42 yea, 11 nay (2 not voting, 1 excused)

   PASSAGE: Senate Vote #85

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 21, 2025

   109 yea, 50 nay (6 not voting, 15 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #299

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   50 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 2 excused)

   AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #308

• natural gas infrastructure
• utility regulation
• underground power lines
• GEFA
• local government financing