SB 96: Official Code of Georgia Annotated; provisions creating certain boards, panels, authorities, centers, commissions, committees, councils, task forces, and other such bodies; update and modernize

This is a large housekeeping bill that goes through many parts of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and cleans up boards and councils created over the years. Some bodies are abolished outright, including the Environmental Advisory Council, the Jekyll Island Citizens Resource Council, the Governor's Office for Children and Families, the Georgia Volunteer Fire Service Council, the Georgia Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council, the Board of Homeland Security, the Employment First Georgia Council, the Georgia State Games Commission, and the Lottery Retailer Advisory Board. Others are restructured, such as the State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission, which grows from nine to eleven members, and the Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council, which absorbs the duties of the abolished Stakeholder Advisory Board. The bill also folds volunteer firefighter oversight into the single Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council instead of keeping a separate volunteer council, and makes many conforming cross-reference changes throughout the code. Assets, liabilities, and duties of the abolished bodies transfer to the State of Georgia effective July 1, 2025.

• Abolishes nine named boards or councils, including the Environmental Advisory Council, Jekyll Island Citizens Resource Council, Governor's Office for Children and Families, and Georgia State Games Commission, transferring their assets and duties to the state.
• Expands the State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission from nine to eleven members and changes how the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House appoint members and set their terms.
• Merges the Georgia Volunteer Fire Service Council into the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council, requiring at least one Governor appointee to represent a volunteer fire department.
• Transfers the duties of the repealed Stakeholder Advisory Board (setting erosion and sediment control training standards) to the existing Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council.
• Creates a new Code section outlining specific Employment First Policy duties for the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board, including training plans and biannual reports to the Governor and General Assembly.
• Removes references to the Governor's Office for Children and Families throughout juvenile justice and social services statutes, replacing some with the Department of Human Services.

State agencies and their boards, including the Departments of Community Affairs, Natural Resources, Public Health, Public Safety, and Human Services; volunteer and career firefighters; people experiencing homelessness served by housing programs; lupus patients; people with disabilities seeking employment services; and Georgia State Games and lottery retailer stakeholders.

Georgians who interact with these programs, such as housing assistance applicants, volunteer firefighters, or people with disabilities seeking jobs, will see their oversight bodies consolidated or eliminated, changing who sets rules and reviews programs, though the underlying services generally continue under other existing agencies.

• Part I raises the State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission's membership from nine to eleven and restructures appointment terms starting August 23, 2025.
• Part II repeals the Environmental Advisory Council's authorizing statute and transfers its assets to the state by July 1, 2025.
• Part IV eliminates the separate Stakeholder Advisory Board and gives its training and certification duties to the Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council (O.C.G.A. § 12-7-7.1).
• Part V repeals the Governor's Office for Children and Families and strikes references to it across juvenile court and social services code sections.
• Part VI merges volunteer fire department oversight into the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council and repeals the separate Georgia Volunteer Fire Service Council statute (O.C.G.A. § 25-4-3.1).
• Part VIII adds new definitions and recommendation duties for the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness, moving it from the Department of Community Health to the Department of Public Health.
• Part X repeals the Employment First Georgia Council but assigns its policy duties directly to the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board under a new Code Section 49-9-2.1.
• Part XI repeals most of the Georgia State Games Commission's governing statutes and shifts audit review of its direct-support organization to the Department of Audits and Accounts.

1. 2025-07-01Effective Date
2. 2025-05-09Act 92
3. 2025-05-09Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-27Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-21House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Drew Echols (R, SD-49)Primary sponsor
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-11)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
• Larry Walker, III (R, SD-20)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
• Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-13)
• John Albers (R, SD-56)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-19)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-47)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-42)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-30)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-15)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 20, 2025

   35 yea, 18 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)

   PASSAGE: Senate Vote #69

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 21, 2025

   162 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 13 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #295

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   51 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 4 excused)

   AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #309

• state government reorganization
• volunteer firefighters
• homeless housing assistance
• disability employment services
• lupus awareness