--- title: SB 237. Newton County Public Facilities Authority; contracts and borrowing of funds; revise provisions collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb237 cite_as: SB 237, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb237 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb237.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb237/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70661 date: 2025-05-13 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/sb236.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb238.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 891 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb237.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 237 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-13 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 sponsors: - Brian Strickland - Tonya Anderson - Tim Fleming text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB237/2025 upstream_id: 1980055 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Newton County government - public facilities authority - revenue bonds - local government finance - school district financing --- # SB 237. Newton County Public Facilities Authority; contracts and borrowing of funds; revise provisions ## Text 25 LC 44 3010 Senate Bill 237 By: Senators Strickland of the 42nd and Anderson of the 43rd AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act creating and establishing the Newton County Public Facilities Authority,1 approved June 29, 2020 (Ga. L. 2020, p. 3600), so as to revise provisions regarding contracts2 and borrowing of funds; to revise provisions regarding revenue bonds; to revise provisions3 regarding credit not pledged; to provide for distribution of as sets of the authority upon4 dissolution; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting5 laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 An Act creating and establishing the Newton County Public Facilities Authority, approved9 June 29, 2020 (Ga. L. 2020, p. 3600), is amended by revising pa ragraphs (3) and (5) of10 Section 3 as follows:11 "(3) "Project" means all buildings, facilities and equipment necessary or convenient for12 the efficient operation of Newton County or any department, age ncy division or13 commission thereof, the Newton County School District, any muni cipal corporation14 located within Newton County and any undertaking permitted by t he Revenue Bond15 Law."16 S. B. 237 - 1 - 25 LC 44 3010 "(5) "Revenue bonds" means revenue bonds authorized to be issued pursuant to this Act."17 SECTION 2.18 Said Act is further amended by revising paragraphs (4) and (9) of Section 4 as follows:19 "(4) To execute contracts, leases, installment sale agreements, and other agreements and20 instruments necessary or convenient in connection with the acqu isition, construction,21 addition, extension, improvement, equipping, operation, mainten ance, disposition or22 financing of a project; and any and all persons, firms, corporations, and Newton County,23 Newton County School District and any municipal corporation wit hin Newton County24 are hereby authorized to enter into contracts, leases, installm ent sale agreements, and25 other agreements and instruments with the authority upon such t erms and for such26 purposes as they deem advisable and as they are authorized by law;"27 "(9) To borrow money for any of its corporate purposes, to issue revenue bonds and other28 forms of obligations, and to provide for the payment of the same and rights of the holders29 thereof;"30 SECTION 3.31 Said Act is further amended by revising Section 5 as follows:32 "SECTION 5.33 Revenue bonds.34 The authority shall have power and is hereby authorized to provide by resolution for the35 issuance of revenue bonds for the purpose of paying all or any part of the costs of the36 project and for the purpose of refunding revenue bonds or other obligations previously37 issued. The principal of and interest on such revenue bonds shall be payable solely from38 the revenues and properties pledged to the payment of such revenue bonds. The revenue39 S. B. 237 - 2 - 25 LC 44 3010 bonds issued by the authority shall contain such terms as the authority shall determine are40 in the best interest of the authority; provided, however, that no revenue bonds shall have41 a maturity exceeding 40 years. No such revenue bonds shall be issued to finance a project42 for the Newton County School District or any municipal corporat ion within Newton43 County without the approval of the Board of Commissioners of Newton County."44 SECTION 4.45 Said Act is further amended by revising Section 7 as follows:46 "SECTION 7.47 Credit not pledged.48 Revenue bonds of the authority shall not be deemed to constitute a debt of Newton County,49 the Newton County School System, any municipality located within the county, or the State50 of Georgia, nor a pledge of the faith and credit of this state or such county, but such51 revenue bonds shall be payable solely from the fund hereinafter provided for. The issuance52 of such revenue bonds shall not directly, indirectly, or contin gently obligate this state or53 such county to levy or pledge any form of taxation whatsoever for payment of such revenue54 bonds or to make any appropriation for their payment, and all s uch revenue bonds shall55 contain recitals on their face covering substantially the foregoing provisions of this section. 56 Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, this Act shall not af fect the ability of the57 authority and any political subdivision or municipal corporatio n to enter into an58 intergovernmental contract pursuant to which the political subd ivision or municipal59 corporation agrees to pay amounts sufficient to pay operating c harges and other costs of60 the authority of any project, including, without limitation, the principal of and interest on61 revenue bonds or other forms of obligations in consideration for the services or facilities62 of the authority."63 S. B. 237 - 3 - 25 LC 44 3010 SECTION 5.64 Said Act is further amended by revising subsection (b) of Section 16 as follows:65 "(b) Upon the dissolution of the authority, all assets owned by the authority shall become66 property of Newton County unless the agreements executed in connection with a project67 require otherwise."68 SECTION 6.69 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.70 S. B. 237 - 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 237 revises the 2020 law creating the Newton County Public Facilities Authority, updating its power to borrow money, issue revenue bonds, and distribute assets if the authority is ever dissolved. ### Plain-language summary The Newton County Public Facilities Authority was created by a 2020 state law to build and finance public projects for Newton County, its school district, and cities within the county. This bill amends that 2020 law in several targeted ways. It updates the definitions of 'project' and 'revenue bonds,' clarifies the authority's power to sign contracts and borrow money by issuing revenue bonds, and sets a 40-year cap on how long those bonds can run. Any bond financing a project for the school district or a city must first be approved by the Newton County Board of Commissioners. The bill also confirms that revenue bonds are not backed by the county's, the school system's, or the state's taxing power, and it spells out that if the authority is ever dissolved, its assets go to Newton County unless a project agreement says otherwise. ### What it does - Updates the legal definitions of 'project' and 'revenue bonds' used throughout the authority's governing law (Section 1). - Confirms the authority's power to sign contracts, leases, and installment sale agreements with the county, school district, and cities, and to borrow money and issue revenue bonds (Section 2). - Sets a 40-year maximum term for revenue bonds and requires county commission approval before bonds can fund a school district or city project (Section 3). - Clarifies that revenue bonds are not a debt or tax obligation of Newton County, the school system, any city, or the state, while still allowing intergovernmental payment contracts (Section 4). - Specifies that if the authority dissolves, its remaining assets go to Newton County unless a project agreement states otherwise (Section 5). ### Who it affects Newton County government, the Newton County School District, municipal governments within Newton County, and holders of revenue bonds issued by the authority are directly affected, since the bill changes how the authority can borrow, contract, and wind down operations. ### Why it matters The changes affect how Newton County and its cities and schools can finance public buildings and infrastructure through the authority, including a new 40-year limit on bond terms and a requirement for county approval before bonds fund school or city projects, plus clearer rules for what happens to assets if the authority ends. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises the definitions of 'project' (buildings and facilities for the county, school district, or municipalities) and 'revenue bonds'. - Section 2 authorizes the authority to execute contracts, leases, and installment agreements and to borrow money and issue revenue bonds for corporate purposes. - Section 3 caps revenue bond maturities at 40 years and requires Newton County Board of Commissioners approval for bonds financing school district or municipal projects. - Section 4 states revenue bonds are not a debt or tax pledge of the county, school system, cities, or the state, but allows intergovernmental payment contracts to cover bond costs. - Section 5 provides that authority assets go to Newton County upon dissolution unless project agreements specify otherwise. - Section 6 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Brian Strickland, Tonya Anderson, Tim Fleming - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70661 > The history, votes, and amendments (891 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb237.md?full=1