Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 348: Hancock County; Board of County Commissioners; description of the commissioner districts; change
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date
Senate Bill 348 redraws the four commissioner district boundaries for the Hancock County Board of Commissioners using 2020 census data, without changing the number of districts or seats.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Hancock County elects four county commissioners from separate districts, plus a chairperson elected countywide, under a local law that dates to 1885 and was last redrawn in 2013. This bill replaces the current district lines with new ones based on the 2020 U.S. Census, spelled out block by block in an attached appendix labeled 'HancockCCSB-2025.' The bill keeps the same four district numbers (1 through 4) but redefines exactly which census blocks and voting precincts (VTDs) fall into each one. It also sets rules for handling any leftover areas not assigned to a district, or areas assigned to a district they don't touch geographically, by folding them into the nearest contiguous district with the smallest population. Commissioners currently in office keep serving out their terms under the new district lines. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.
What the bill does
- Redraws the boundaries of Hancock County's four commissioner districts based on 2020 census block and precinct data instead of the 2013 lines.
- Adds a detailed appendix mapping each district to specific census blocks and voting precincts (VTDs) within Hancock County.
- Establishes a rule that any county area left out of the new district map gets assigned to the adjoining district with the lowest population.
- Establishes a rule that any area assigned to a noncontiguous district instead gets reassigned to the adjoining district with the lowest population.
- Allows sitting commissioners to finish their current terms, treating them as representing their old district number even though its boundaries have changed.
- Sets the new map's effective date as July 1, 2025.
Who it affects
Hancock County voters and residents, whose commissioner district assignment may change under the new map; the four sitting county commissioners, who continue serving under redefined districts; and county election officials, who must administer elections using the new boundaries.
Why it matters
Where a person's home falls within the new district lines determines which commissioner represents them and votes on their behalf. Because the redistricting is based on updated 2020 census data, some residents could shift into a different district than before, changing who they vote for locally.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsections (b) and (c) of Section II of the 1885 Act (as amended in 2013) to redefine Commissioner Districts 1 through 4 according to the new Appendix A map.
- Section 1 defines 'VTD' as voting precinct boundaries from the 2020 U.S. Census and clarifies how named cities' boundaries are determined using 2020 census maps.
- Section 1 sets a default rule assigning any unassigned county area to the adjacent district with the smallest population.
- Section 1 sets a default rule reassigning any noncontiguous district area to the adjacent district with the smallest population.
- Section 2 lets current board members finish their terms and treats them as representing their district under the new description.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
- The appendix lists the specific census blocks and voting precincts assigned to Districts 1 through 4.
From the bill
“For the purpose of electing members of the board other than the chairperson, Hancock County shall be divided into four commissioner districts.”
“Any part of Hancock County which is not included in any district described in subsection (b) of this section shall be included within that district contiguous to such part which contains the least population”
Discussed in meetings (2)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14)
From 0:54:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Committee Favorably Reported)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk initially read a committee recommendation to pass SB 348. Before the local-calendar vote, the local committee chair moved to return it to the Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination. The clerk described it as changing Hancock County commission districts. The House approved the return to committee without objection and excluded it from the group of local bills that passed.
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 608
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
Show full history (15 actions)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- David Lucas (D, SD-26)
- Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2025
52 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)
- House voteFebruary 17, 2026
165 yea, 1 nay (7 not voting, 4 excused)
Topics
- Hancock County
- county commissioners
- redistricting
- local government
- election districts