--- title: SB 13. Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb13 cite_as: SB 13, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb13 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb13.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb13/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69384 date: 2025-05-14 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/sb12.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb14.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1191 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb13.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 13 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-14 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-14 sponsors: - Carden Summers - Blake Tillery - John Albers - Bill Cowsert - Randy Robertson - Steve Gooch - Ben Watson - Bo Hatchett - Russ Goodman - John Kennedy - Mike Hodges - Derek Mallow - Ricky Williams - Matt Brass - Lee Anderson - Max Burns - Freddie Sims - David Lucas - Larry Walker - Brandon Beach - Greg Dolezal - Angie O'Steen text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB13/2025 upstream_id: 1922179 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - natural gas infrastructure - utility regulation - electrical line undergrounding - state finance authority - local government projects --- # SB 13. Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize ## Text 25 LC 49 2342S Senate Bill 13 By: Senators Summers of the 13th, Tillery of the 19th, Albers o f the 56th, Cowsert of the 46th, Robertson of the 29th and others AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the1 Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, so as to authorize the authority to finance and2 perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities and3 conversion of electrical lines; to revise definitions; to provide for rules and regulations; to4 provide for limited liability; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date;5 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotate d, relating to the Georgia9 Environmental Finance Authority, is amended in Code Section 50- 23-4, relating to10 definitions, by revising paragraphs (5), (6), (10.1), and (10.2) and adding a new paragraph11 to read as follows:12 "(5) 'Environmental facilities' means any projects, structures, and other real or personal13 property acquired, rehabilitated, constructed, or planned:14 (A) For the purposes of supplying, distributing, and treating water and diverting,15 channeling, or controlling water flow and head including, but not limited to, surface or16 S. B. 13 - 1 - 25 LC 49 2342S ground water, canals, reservoirs, channels, basins, dams, aqued ucts, standpipes,17 penstocks, conduits, pipelines, mains, pumping stations, water distribution systems,18 compensating reservoirs, intake stations, waterworks or sources of water supply, wells,19 purification or filtration plants or other treatment plants and works, connections, water20 meters, mechanical equipment, electric generating equipment, ri ghts of flowage or21 division and other plant structures, equipment, conveyances, real or personal property22 or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto23 necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyan ce, distribution,24 pumping, treatment, storing, or disposing of water;25 (B) For the purposes of collecting, treating, or disposing of sewage including, but not26 limited to, main, trunk, intercepting, connecting, lateral, outlet, or other sewers, outfall,27 pumping stations, treatment and disposal plants, ground water r echange basins,28 backflow prevention devices, sludge dewatering or disposal equipment and facilities,29 clarifiers, filters, phosphorus removal equipment and other pla nts, soil absorption30 systems, innovative systems or equipment, structures, equipment , vehicles,31 conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein, and a ppurtenances thereto32 necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, pumping, treatment,33 neutralization, storing, and disposing of sewage;34 (C) For the purposes of collecting, treating, recycling, compo sting, or disposing of35 solid waste, including, but not limited to, trucks, dumpsters, intermediate reception36 stations or facilities, transfer stations, incinerators, shredders, treatment plants, landfills,37 landfill equipment, barrels, binders, barges, alternative techn ologies and other plant38 structures, equipment, conveyances, improvements, real or personal property or rights39 therein, and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto necessary or40 useful and convenient for the collection, treatment, or disposal of solid waste; or41 (D) For the purposes of carrying out a community land conservation project or a state42 land conservation project pursuant to Chapter 22 of Title 36;43 S. B. 13 - 2 - 25 LC 49 2342S (E) For the purposes of conversion of electrical lines from ab oveground lines to44 underground lines; or45 (F) For the purposes of storing, supplying, and distributing n atural gas outside any46 certified area of a nonmunicipal gas company, as such term is defined in paragraph (5)47 of Code Section 46-1-1, including, but not limited to, pipeline s, storage tanks and48 facilities, natural gas distribution systems, equipment, vehicles, conveyances, real or49 personal property or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishi ngs, accessories, and50 devices thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the stor age, supply, and51 distribution of natural gas.52 (6) 'Environmental services' means the provision, collectively or individually, of water53 facilities, sewerage facilities, solid waste facilities, natural gas facilities, conversion of54 electrical lines from aboveground lines to underground lines, community land55 conservation projects or state land conservation projects pursuant to Chapter 22 Title 36,56 or management services."57 "(10.1) 'Natural gas facility' means any environmental facility described in subparagraph58 (F) of paragraph (5) of this Code section.59 (10.2) 'Nongovernmental entity' means a nonprofit organization the primary purposes of60 which are the permanent protection and conservation of land and natural resources.61 (10.2)(10.3) 'Nonprofit corporation' means any corporation qualified as a not for profit62 corporation by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4)63 of the Internal Revenue Code."64 SECTION 2.65 Said chapter is further amended in subsection (b) of Code Secti on 50-23-5, relating to66 purpose, powers, and duties, by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (33), by deleting the67 period and substituting in lieu thereof "; and" at the end of s ubparagraph (J) of paragraph68 (34), and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:69 S. B. 13 - 3 - 25 LC 49 2342S "(35) To promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry ou t the purposes of this70 chapter."71 SECTION 3.72 Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 50-23-12, relat ing to personal liability of73 members, officers, and employees of the authority, by revising paragraph (2) as follows:74 "(2) The construction, ownership, maintenance, or operation of any solid waste system,75 sewerage system, natural gas system, environmental facility, or water system owned by76 a local government; or"77 SECTION 4.78 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law79 without such approval.80 SECTION 5.81 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.82 S. B. 13 - 4 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. Senate Bill 13 lets the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority help finance and build natural gas facilities and projects to move power lines underground, expanding the agency's mission beyond water, sewer, and waste projects. ### Plain-language summary The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) currently helps local governments finance water, sewer, and solid waste projects. This bill expands GEFA's authority so it can also finance and support projects involving natural gas facilities, such as pipelines, storage tanks, and distribution systems built outside a natural gas company's certified service area, and projects that convert overhead electrical lines to underground lines. The bill rewrites several definitions in Georgia's GEFA law (O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4) to add these new project types to the list of 'environmental facilities' and 'environmental services' GEFA can support. It also gives GEFA authority to write rules and regulations to carry out its duties, and it extends the law's existing personal liability protection for authority members, officers, and employees to cover natural gas systems built by local governments. The changes take effect as soon as the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without his signature. ### What it does - Adds natural gas facilities, including pipelines, storage tanks, and distribution systems built outside a certified gas company's service area, to the list of projects GEFA can finance. - Adds projects that convert overhead electrical lines to underground lines to GEFA's list of financeable environmental facilities. - Creates new legal definitions for 'natural gas facility' and 'nongovernmental entity' in Georgia's GEFA statute (O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4). - Gives GEFA the power to write rules and regulations needed to carry out its expanded duties under this law. - Extends existing liability protection for GEFA members, officers, and employees to cover natural gas systems owned and operated by local governments. ### Who it affects The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and its board, officers, and employees; local governments that build or operate natural gas systems or convert power lines underground; and nonmunicipal gas companies whose certified service areas border these new GEFA-financed projects. ### Why it matters By letting GEFA finance natural gas infrastructure and underground power line conversions, local governments gain another state-backed financing option for these projects, potentially affecting how quickly gas service or underground lines reach some Georgia communities, while GEFA officials get liability protection similar to what they already have for water and sewer projects. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 50-23-4 to expand the definition of 'environmental facilities' to include natural gas storage, supply, and distribution systems outside a gas company's certified area, and underground conversion of electrical lines. - Section 1 also updates the 'environmental services' definition to include natural gas facilities and electrical line conversion, and adds a definition of 'nongovernmental entity' as a nonprofit focused on land and natural resource conservation. - Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-5 to add a new power letting GEFA 'promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this chapter.' - Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-23-12 to extend personal liability protection for GEFA members, officers, and employees to natural gas systems owned by local governments. - Section 4 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without his signature. - Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-14) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-14 (2025-05-14) - Sponsors: Carden Summers, Blake Tillery, John Albers, Bill Cowsert, Randy Robertson, Steve Gooch, Ben Watson, Bo Hatchett, Russ Goodman, John Kennedy, Mike Hodges, Derek Mallow, Ricky Williams, Matt Brass, Lee Anderson, Max Burns, Freddie Sims, David Lucas, Larry Walker, Brandon Beach, Greg Dolezal, Angie O'Steen - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69384 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,191 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb13.md?full=1