---
title: SB 310. Creating Hope and a New Georgia for Everyone or CHANGE Task Force; establish
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb310
cite_as: SB 310, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb310
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb310.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb310/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71010
date: 2025-02-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb310.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 310
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Randal Mangham
- Nan Orrock
- Derek Mallow
- RaShaun Kemp
- Ed Harbison
- Donzella James
- Nikki Merritt
- David Lucas
- Jason Esteves
- Michael Rhett
- Gail Davenport
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB310/2025
upstream_id: 1987872
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- community development
- state task force
- labor policy
- rural and urban issues
- state grants
---
# SB 310. Creating Hope and a New Georgia for Everyone or CHANGE Task Force; establish
## Text
Senate Bill 310
By: Senators Mangham of the 55th, Orrock of the 36th, Mallow of the 2nd, Kemp of the
38th, Harbison of the 15th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 8 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Department of Community Affairs, so as to establish the Creating Hope and a New Georgia
for Everyone or CHANGE Task Force for the purpose of examining the complex issues
facing urban, suburban, and rural communities in this state and finding solutions focused on
labor and community development; to provide for definitions; to provide for such task force's
membership, duties, and powers; to provide for a grant program, subject to appropriation; to
provide for reporting; to provide for automatic repeal; to provide for related matters; to
provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 8 of Title 50 the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of
Community Affairs, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 14
50-8-400.
As used in this article, the term:
(1) 'CHANGE Task Force' or 'task force' means the Creating Hope and a New Georgia
for Everyone Task Force as provided for in this article.
(2) 'Commissioner' means the commissioner of community affairs.
(3) 'Department' means the Department of Community Affairs.
50-8-401.
There is established the Creating Hope and a New Georgia for Everyone or CHANGE Task
Force for the purpose of examining complex issues facing urban, suburban, and rural
communities in this state; bringing together civic, community, business, and government
leaders to discuss solutions focused on labor and community development; recommending
such solutions to civic, community, business, and government leaders; and, to the extent
possible, facilitating the implementation of such solutions.
50-8-402.
(a) The CHANGE Task Force shall consist of 13 members as follows:
(1) Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a civic or
community leader of the City of Atlanta or of the County of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb,
Gwinnett, or Clayton; one of whom shall be an employer of more than 250 employees in
this state; one of whom shall be a representative of a public technical school, vocational
school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education in this state;
and one of whom shall be a representative of a private technical school, vocational
school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education in this state;
(2) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of
whom shall be a civic or community leader outside of metro Atlanta; one of whom shall
be an employer of 250 employees or fewer in this state; and two of whom shall be
members of the House of Representatives;
(3) Four members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be a civic
or community leader outside of metro Atlanta; one of whom shall be an employer of ten
employees or fewer in this state; and two of whom shall be members of the Senate; and
(4) The commissioner of community affairs or his or her designee.
(b) Each member of the task force shall be appointed to serve for a term of two years or
until his or her successor is duly appointed, except the members of the General Assembly,
who shall serve until the completion of their current terms of office. A member may be
appointed to succeed himself or herself on the task force. If a member of the task force is
an elected or appointed official, the member or his or her designee shall be removed from
the task force if the member no longer serves as such elected or appointed official.
Vacancies in the task force shall be filled by appointment in the manner of the original
appointment.
(c) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the task force. The chairperson shall
call all meetings of the task force and preside over such meetings. The task force may elect
other officers as it deems necessary.
(d) The task force shall be attached to the department for administrative purposes only.
The department shall provide staff support for the task force and shall use any funds
specifically appropriated to it to support the work of the task force.
50-8-403.
(a) The CHANGE Task Force may conduct meetings at such places and times as it deems
necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform
its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this article. The task force shall
meet at least quarterly and at the call of the chairperson.
(b) A quorum for transacting business shall be a majority of the members of the task force.
(c) Any legislative members of the task force shall receive the allowances provided for in
Code Section 28-1-8. Citizen members shall receive a daily expense allowance in the
amount specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21, as well as the mileage or
transportation allowance authorized for state employees. Members of the task force who
are state officials or state employees, excluding legislative members, shall receive no
compensation for their services on the task force, but they shall be reimbursed for expenses
incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the task force in the
same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or
state employees. The funds necessary for the reimbursement of the expenses of state
officials and state employees shall come from funds appropriated or otherwise available
to their respective departments. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of
this article shall come from funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
50-8-404.
(a) The CHANGE Task Force shall:
(1) Identify the most important issues facing communities in this state through
stakeholder input and public hearings, research, data collection, evaluation, and analysis;
(2) Annually prioritize a singular issue that the task force will examine;
(3) Define the root cause or causes of such prioritized issue;
(4) Brainstorm solutions to the prioritized issue focusing on labor and community
development; and
(5) Recommend solutions, including but not limited to the introduction of or changes to
legislation, programs, plans, policies, or strategies, to the public and to civic, community,
business, and government leaders, as applicable.
(b) The CHANGE Task Force shall have the power to:
(1) Conduct surveys or studies, hold public meetings, collect data, or take any other
action the task force deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities;
(2) Request and receive data from state agencies to the greatest extent allowed by state
and federal law;
(3) Accept any public or private grants, devises, and bequests;
(4) Authorize entering into contracts or agreements through the task force's chairperson
necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties; and
(5) Establish rules and procedures for conducting the business of the task force.
(c) Subject to appropriations, the task force shall establish a grant program for the
provision of funds to applicants for the purpose of labor and community development to
address a prioritized issue facing a community in this state. To the extent possible, grants
shall be awarded in a variety of geographic areas of the state.
(d) The task force shall be authorized to retain the services of attorneys, consultants,
subject matter experts, economists, budget analysts, data analysts, statisticians, and other
individuals or organizations as determined appropriate by the task force.
(e) Beginning July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the task force shall submit a detailed
report to the Governor and notify members of the General Assembly of the availability of
such report in the manner which it deems to be most effective and efficient. The annual
report shall contain the task force's findings and recommendations regarding issues facing
communities in this state and shall evaluate the impact of task force activities. Prior to
dissolution, the task force shall send a final report to the General Assembly summarizing
its activities and making its final recommendations. The annual reports and final report
shall be published on the department's internet website and shall be made publicly
available.
50-8-405.
This article shall be automatically repealed on June 30, 2031, unless continued in effect by
the General Assembly prior to that date."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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 create a 13-member CHANGE Task Force to study problems facing Georgia's urban, suburban, and rural communities and recommend labor and community development solutions, with a state grant program to fund local fixes.
### Plain-language summary
This bill amends Georgia's community affairs law (O.C.G.A. Title 50, Chapter 8) to create the Creating Hope and a New Georgia for Everyone, or CHANGE, Task Force. The task force would bring together civic leaders, business owners, educators, and lawmakers appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate, along with the commissioner of community affairs, to study issues facing communities across the state and recommend solutions focused on jobs and community development.
Each year the task force would pick one priority issue, study its root causes, and recommend legislation, programs, or policies to address it. It would also run a grant program, if the General Assembly appropriates money for it, to fund local labor and community development projects across different parts of the state. The task force would be attached to the Department of Community Affairs for staffing, must report annually starting July 1, 2026, and would automatically end on June 30, 2031 unless lawmakers extend it. The bill would take effect once signed by the Governor.
### What it does
- Creates a 13-member CHANGE Task Force made up of gubernatorial, House, and Senate appointees plus the commissioner of community affairs or a designee.
- Directs the task force to pick one priority community issue each year, study its causes, and recommend legislation, programs, or policies to address it.
- Establishes a grant program, contingent on state funding being appropriated, to pay for labor and community development projects in various geographic areas of Georgia.
- Requires the task force to submit a detailed annual report to the Governor starting July 1, 2026, and a final report to the General Assembly before it ends.
- Automatically repeals the task force and its authorizing law on June 30, 2031, unless the General Assembly votes to continue it.
### Who it affects
Civic and community leaders, small and large business owners, public and private colleges and technical schools, the Department of Community Affairs, and members of the House and Senate who serve on or interact with the task force are all named in the bill's text.
### Why it matters
Georgians in cities, suburbs, and rural areas could see new state-backed recommendations and grant funding aimed at local labor and community development problems, though any actual grant money depends on the General Assembly choosing to appropriate funds for the program in a future budget.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds Article 14 to Chapter 8 of Title 50, creating O.C.G.A. §§ 50-8-400 through 50-8-405 to establish the task force and its rules.
- O.C.G.A. § 50-8-402 sets the task force's 13-member composition, with specific seats for metro Atlanta and non-metro leaders, small and large employers, and public and private postsecondary schools.
- O.C.G.A. § 50-8-403 requires quarterly meetings, sets a majority quorum, and details expense reimbursement for legislative, citizen, and state employee members.
- O.C.G.A. § 50-8-404 lists the task force's duties, including annual issue prioritization, and creates a grant program 'subject to appropriations' for community development funding.
- O.C.G.A. § 50-8-404 requires an annual report to the Governor beginning July 1, 2026, and a final report to the General Assembly before dissolution, both posted publicly online.
- O.C.G.A. § 50-8-405 automatically repeals the entire article on June 30, 2031 unless the General Assembly extends it.
- Section 2 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without that signature.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-28)
- Sponsors: Randal Mangham, Nan Orrock, Derek Mallow, RaShaun Kemp, Ed Harbison, Donzella James, Nikki Merritt, David Lucas, Jason Esteves, Michael Rhett, Gail Davenport
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71010
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb310.md?full=1