--- title: SB 151. "Joint Development Authority of North Fulton Municipalities Act"; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb151 cite_as: SB 151, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb151 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb151.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb151/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70239 date: 2025-03-31 status: engrossed 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/sb150.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb152.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1156 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb151.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 151 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-03 last_action: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute sponsors: - Brandon Beach - John Albers - Shawn Still - Jan Jones text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB151/2025 upstream_id: 1968157 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - development authorities - property tax incentives - Fulton County - local government powers - economic development --- # SB 151. "Joint Development Authority of North Fulton Municipalities Act"; enact ## Text 25 LC 47 3657S The House Committee on Intragovernmental Coordination offers the following substitute to SB 151: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 62 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 development authorities, so as to provide that county developme nt authorities for certain2 counties shall not operate within certain municipalities; to provide for a definition; to provide3 for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other4 purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Chapter 62 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to development8 authorities, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:9 "36-62-4.1.10 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'massively municipa lized county' means any11 county without a consolidated or unified government in which the corporate limits of two12 or more municipalities cover 95 percent or more of the land area of the county.13 (b) No county development authority for a massively municipalized county shall purchase14 or accept title to any real or personal property in connection with a property tax incentive15 S. B. 151 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 47 3657S project within the parts of such county that are within the cor porate limits of any16 municipality that is located north of the northernmost corporate limit of the municipality17 in which the county site of such county is located if the gover ning authority of the18 municipality in which such property is located has adopted a re solution to limit such19 development authority from operating within such municipality.20 (c) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to any project approved by a21 development authority prior to January 1, 2026, nor shall any a mendments, refinancing,22 renewals, or the transfer of any property related to such prior projects be affected by this23 Code section."24 SECTION 2.25 This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2026.26 SECTION 3.27 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.28 S. B. 151 (SUB) - 2 - ## 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. A Georgia Senate bill would stop county development authorities in heavily city-covered counties, like Fulton County, from handling property tax incentive deals inside north Fulton cities that vote to opt out. ### Plain-language summary Right now, a county development authority (a body that can offer property tax breaks to attract business projects) can operate anywhere in its county, including inside cities. This bill changes that for what it calls a 'massively municipalized county,' defined as a county without a merged city-county government where cities cover 95 percent or more of the county's land. In those counties, the county development authority could no longer buy or take title to property for a tax incentive project inside a city located north of the county's main city, if that city's government has passed a resolution blocking the authority from operating there. The restriction would not undo projects already approved before January 1, 2026, or affect later changes, refinancing, or property transfers tied to those older projects. The bill would take effect January 1, 2026. ### What it does - Adds a new section to Georgia's development authority law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 62 of Title 36) defining a 'massively municipalized county' as one where cities cover 95 percent or more of the land and there is no merged city-county government. - Bars a county development authority in such a county from buying or taking title to property for a property tax incentive project inside certain north-side cities. - Makes that restriction apply only if the city's own governing body has passed a resolution opting the city out of the county authority's reach. - Protects development projects approved before January 1, 2026 from the new restriction, including later refinancing, renewals, or property transfers tied to them. - Sets the law's effective date as January 1, 2026. ### Who it affects County development authorities in heavily city-covered counties (chiefly Fulton County), city governments north of a county's main city (such as several north Fulton municipalities), businesses seeking property tax incentive deals, and residents of those cities. ### Why it matters Cities that pass an opt-out resolution would gain more control over whether the county, rather than the city itself, can offer property tax incentives for development within their borders, changing who controls tax break deals inside those city limits going forward. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds new Code section 36-62-4.1 defining 'massively municipalized county' as a county without a consolidated government where two or more cities cover 95 percent or more of its land area. - Subsection (b) bars a county development authority from acquiring property for a tax incentive project inside a city north of the county seat's city if that city has adopted an opt-out resolution. - Subsection (c) exempts projects already approved before January 1, 2026, and shields their later amendments, refinancing, renewals, or property transfers from the new rule. - Section 2 sets the effective date at January 1, 2026. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting state laws. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2025-03-03) - Last action: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2025-03-31) - Sponsors: Brandon Beach, John Albers, Shawn Still, Jan Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70239 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,156 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb151.md?full=1