Senate · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SR 811: Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund; General Assembly shall be authorized to provide by law to expend or authorize the expenditure of public funds; provide -CA

Last action February 19, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred

A Georgia Senate resolution would ask voters to amend the state constitution to create a Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund and raise the cap on the state's homeowner property tax relief benefit from $18,000 to $150,000 of assessed home value.

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In plain language

Georgia's constitution currently limits the state's homeowner incentive adjustment, a benefit that offsets property tax bills, to $18,000 of a home's assessed value. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would raise that cap to $150,000 and let local governments and school systems create their own local versions of the adjustment funded by local tax dollars. The amendment would also create a new Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund, funded partly through collections on high-technology data centers and the insurance premium tax, that would provide refundable income tax credits to residents of 'qualifying homes,' a term the General Assembly would define later by general law. Money placed in the fund would not count as state property, would not lapse at year's end, and would be exempt from certain constitutional debt and spending limits. If the General Assembly approves the resolution, the amendment goes to voters for ratification or rejection at the next general election.

What the bill does

Proposes a constitutional amendment letting the state spend public funds on the new Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund without requiring anything in return.
Creates the Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund, financed by data center and insurance premium tax collections, to issue refundable income tax credits to residents of qualifying homes.
Raises the cap on the state's Homeowner's Incentive Adjustment benefit from $18,000 to $150,000 of a home's assessed value.
Authorizes local governments and school systems to create their own local homeowner tax adjustment programs funded with local tax money.
Exempts money in the new fund from the constitution's debt limits, state appropriations lapse rules, and certain spending caps.
Sends the proposed amendment to Georgia voters for approval or rejection at the ballot box.

Who it affects

Homeowners who qualify for the state's homestead exemption and property tax relief programs, local governments and school districts deciding whether to fund local adjustment programs, and the state agency or public authority the General Assembly designates to administer the new fund. High-technology data center operators and insurance companies would see their tax collections redirected to the fund.

Why it matters

If ratified, homeowners could see a much larger reduction in their property tax bills than the current $18,000 cap allows, and some could also get income tax credits through the new fund. Local governments would gain new authority to run their own tax relief programs funded locally.

Key provisions

Section 1 adds a new constitutional subparagraph letting the General Assembly spend public funds on the Fairness Fund without it counting as state debt or state property.
Section 2 creates the Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund, funded by data center and insurance premium tax revenue, to provide refundable income tax credits to residents of qualifying homes, exempt from normal fund lapse and spending rules.
Section 3 raises the Homeowner's Incentive Adjustment cap from $18,000 to $150,000 of assessed home value and lets local governments and school systems fund their own local adjustment programs.
Section 4 sets the ballot language voters would see, asking whether to approve the fund and the increased homeowner benefit cap.
The amendment must be submitted to voters for ratification under Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution before taking effect.

From the bill

“The General Assembly is authorized to provide by law and may expend or authorize the expenditure of public funds for the state or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof to institute provisions relating to the Georgia Property Tax Fairness Fund”
This is the core authorization letting the state spend public money on the new fund.

“Such credits against income tax liability shall be refundable and may exceed the income tax liability of a taxpayer residing in a qualifying home.”
This means eligible homeowners could get a payment back even if they owe no income tax.

Status timeline

2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2026-02-18Senate Hopper (Senate)

Topics

property taxes
homestead exemption
constitutional amendment
tax relief
data center taxes

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