---
title: SR 584. State-wide Water Management Plan; ratify amendments
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr584
cite_as: SR 584, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr584
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr584.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr584/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72325
date: 2026-01-27
status: introduced
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr584.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 584
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-01-21
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Drew Echols
  - Bo Hatchett
  - Shawn Still
  - Russ Goodman
  - Lee Anderson
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR584/2025
upstream_id: 2089593
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - water management
  - environmental policy
  - Georgia water resources
  - state agencies
---

# SR 584. State-wide Water Management Plan; ratify amendments

## Text

Senate Resolution 584
By: Senators Echols of the 49th, Hatchett of the 50th, Still of the 48th, Goodman of the 8th
and Anderson of the 24th
A RESOLUTION
To ratify amendments to a certain comprehensive state-wide water management plan; to
provide for force and effect; to provide for construction; to provide an effective date; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 8 of Chapter 5 of Title 12 of the O.C.G.A., the
Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources developed a
comprehensive state-wide water management plan and submitted such a plan to the Water
Council for adoption; and
WHEREAS, the Water Council adopted such a plan on January 8, 2008, and submitted such
plan to the General Assembly on January 14, 2008, for consideration by the General
Assembly under Code Section 12-5-525 of the O.C.G.A.; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly ratified such plan as H.R. 1022 and the Governor signed
such plan, effective February 6, 2008; and
WHEREAS, the Water Council reconvened on September 29, 2025, to consider amendments
to the comprehensive state-wide water management plan; and
WHEREAS, the Water Council adopted such amendments to the comprehensive state-wide
water management plan on December 9, 2025, and submitted those amendments to the
General Assembly on January 12, 2026, for consideration by the General Assembly under
Code Section 12-5-525 of the O.C.G.A.; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the General Assembly to ratify such amendments to the plan
pursuant to Code Section 12-5-525 of the O.C.G.A.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
(1) That the amendments to the comprehensive state-wide water management plan
adopted by the Water Council on December 9, 2025, on file in the office of the director
of the Environmental Protection Division, and submitted to the General Assembly on
January 12, 2026, are hereby ratified pursuant to Code Section 12-5-525 of the O.C.G.A.;
(2) That such amended nonstatutory plan shall have force and effect;
(3) That in the event any provision of such amended nonstatutory plan irreconcilably
conflicts with any current or future statute enacted by the General Assembly, then, to the
extent of the conflict, the provisions of such statute shall control;
(4) That this resolution shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon
its becoming law without such approval; and
(5) That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this resolution 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 resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Senate resolution would ratify updates to Georgia's comprehensive state-wide water management plan, approving amendments the Water Council adopted in December 2025.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia's original comprehensive water management plan was developed by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources, adopted by the Water Council in 2008, and ratified by the General Assembly that year. State law (O.C.G.A. § 12-5-525) requires the legislature to ratify the plan and any later amendments before they take effect.
The Water Council reconvened in September 2025 to consider updates and adopted amendments to the plan on December 9, 2025. This resolution formally ratifies those amendments, giving the updated plan legal force and effect. It also states that if any part of the plan ever conflicts with a statute passed by the General Assembly, the statute wins. The resolution would take effect once the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

### What it does

- Ratifies the amendments to the state-wide water management plan that the Water Council adopted on December 9, 2025.
- Gives the amended, nonstatutory plan legal force and effect once ratified.
- Establishes that any conflict between the plan and a current or future state statute is resolved in favor of the statute.
- Sets the resolution's effective date as the date the Governor signs it or it becomes law without signature.
- Repeals any prior laws or parts of laws that conflict with this resolution.

### Who it affects

The Environmental Protection Division and the Water Council, which develop and maintain the plan; state agencies and local governments that manage water resources under the plan; and Georgia water users generally, since the plan guides state-wide water policy.

### Why it matters

Without ratification, the Water Council's 2025 updates to the state's water management approach would not carry legal force. Approval means the amended plan becomes the operating framework state and local agencies use to manage Georgia's water resources going forward.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) ratifies the specific amendments adopted by the Water Council on December 9, 2025 and filed with the Environmental Protection Division's director.
- Paragraph (2) gives the amended nonstatutory plan force and effect once ratified.
- Paragraph (3) provides that any irreconcilable conflict between the plan and a statute is resolved in favor of the statute, whether the statute is current or enacted later.
- Paragraph (4) sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or becoming law without such approval.
- Paragraph (5) repeals conflicting laws and parts of laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-01-21)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-01-27)
- Sponsors: Drew Echols, Bo Hatchett, Shawn Still, Russ Goodman, Lee Anderson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72325

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr584.md?full=1