--- title: SB 348. Hancock County; Board of County Commissioners; description of the commissioner districts; change collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb348 cite_as: SB 348, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb348 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb348.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb348/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71503 date: 2026-05-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 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/sb347.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb349.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 996 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb348.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 348 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-05-11 last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 sponsors: - David Lucas - Mack Jackson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB348/2025 upstream_id: 2012242 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Hancock County - county commissioners - redistricting - local government - election districts --- # SB 348. Hancock County; Board of County Commissioners; description of the commissioner districts; change ## Text Senate Bill 348 By: Senator Lucas of the 26th AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act creating a Board of County Commissioners of Hancock County, approved October 5, 1885 (Ga. L. 1884-85, p. 435), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 6, 2013 (Ga. L. 2013, p. 4328), so as to change the description of the commissioner districts; to provide for definitions and inclusions; to provide for the continuation in office of current members; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. An Act creating a Board of County Commissioners of Hancock County, approved October 5, 1885 (Ga. L. 1884-85, p. 435), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 6, 2013 (Ga. L. 2013, p. 4328), is amended by revising subsections (b) and (c) of Section II as follows: "(b) For the purpose of electing members of the board other than the chairperson, Hancock County shall be divided into four commissioner districts. Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 shall be and correspond to those four numbered districts described in Appendix A attached to and made a part of this Act and further identified as 'User: SD26 Plan Name: HancockCCSB-2025 Plan Type: Local'. The chairperson shall be elected by the electors of the entire county. (c)(1) For the purposes of such plan: (A) The term 'VTD' shall mean and describe the same geographical boundaries as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia. The separate numeric designations in a district description which are underneath a VTD heading shall mean and describe individual Blocks within a VTD as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia; and (B) Except as otherwise provided in the description of any district, whenever the description of any district refers to a named city, it shall mean the geographical boundaries of that city as shown on the census maps for the United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia. (2) 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 according to the United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia. (3) Any part of Hancock County which is described in subsection (b) of this section as being included in a particular district shall nevertheless not be included within such district if such part is not contiguous to such district. Such noncontiguous part shall instead be included within that district contiguous to such part which contains the least population according to the United States decennial census of 2020 for the State of Georgia." SECTION 2. (a) Those members of the Board of County Commissioners of Hancock County who are serving as such on the effective date of this Act and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such office shall continue to serve as such members until the regular expiration of their respective terms of office and upon the election and qualification of their respective successors. (b) Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, as they exist immediately prior to the effective date of this Act, shall continue to be designated as Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, but as newly described under this Act, and on and after the effective date of this Act, such members of the board serving from those former commissioner districts shall be deemed to be serving from and representing their respective districts as newly described under this Act. SECTION 3. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025. SECTION 4. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. APPENDIX A User: SD26 Plan Name: HancockCCSB-2025 Plan Type: Local District 001 County Hancock GA VTD DEVEREUX FIRE STATION Block 480300 1006 1008 1009 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1031 1032 1033 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1103 1104 1105 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1124 1125 1126 1140 1141 1142 1143 1145 1146 1147 1149 1150 1151 1154 1155 1156 1157 1173 1178 1179 VTD SECOND BEULAH Block 480300 1122 1123 Block 480400 5018 5019 5026 5027 5045 5046 VTD ST. MARK District 002 County Hancock GA VTD COURTHOUSE Block 480400 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2051 2052 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 2071 2077 3000 3001 3002 3003 3004 3005 3006 3007 3008 3009 3012 3014 3015 3016 3017 3018 3019 3020 4089 4090 4091 5000 5001 5002 5023 VTD DEVEREUX FIRE STATION Block 480300 1089 1101 1102 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1175 1176 1177 VTD SECOND BEULAH Block 480300 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1144 1148 1152 1153 1158 1159 1160 1161 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167 1168 1169 1170 1171 1172 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2012 2013 2015 2016 2017 2024 Block 480400 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1027 1043 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1091 1092 3021 3022 3023 5006 5022 5024 5025 5028 5029 5032 5033 5034 5035 5036 5037 5038 5039 5041 5042 5043 5044 5047 5052 5053 5055 District 003 County Hancock GA VTD DEVEREUX FIRE STATION Block 480300 1004 1005 1010 1011 1012 1013 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1049 1050 1051 1174 VTD MAYFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER VTD POWER OF GOD VTD WARREN CHAPEL District 004 County Hancock GA VTD COURTHOUSE Block 480400 2053 2054 2055 2056 2062 2063 2064 2070 2072 2073 2074 2075 2076 2078 2079 VTD SECOND DARRIEN VTD SPARTA 4C VTD YOUTH CENTER Block 480300 2000 Block 480400 1000 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1025 1026 1028 1029 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1061 1062 1063 1068 1069 1071 1072 1073 1078 1093 1094 2094 3010 3011 3013 3024 3025 3026 3027 3028 3029 3030 3031 3032 3033 3034 3035 3036 3037 3038 3039 3040 ## 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 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. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-05-11) - Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11) - Sponsors: David Lucas, Mack Jackson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71503 > The history, votes, and amendments (996 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb348.md?full=1