HB1087: HB1087 Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act; enact

Under current Georgia law, disabled veterans who need to modify their homes for accessibility, such as adding ramps or widening doorways, can be charged building permit fees, plan review fees, inspection fees, and similar charges by local governments. This bill, called the Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act, would stop that. It adds a new section to Georgia's local government code (O.C.G.A. Chapter 80 of Title 36) letting disabled veterans apply to the commissioner of veterans service for certification of their disabled veteran status. Once certified, a veteran could not be charged building, permit, plan review, inspection, or reinspection fees for home improvements needed because of their disability. Veterans would still have to submit any application forms or documentation a local government normally requires, along with their certification. The bill does not list an effective date beyond standard enactment upon the Governor's signature.

• Creates a new certification process through the commissioner of veterans service for disabled veterans seeking fee relief.
• Prohibits counties, cities, and other local governments from charging certified disabled veterans permit, plan review, inspection, or reinspection fees for disability-related home modifications.
• Directs the commissioner of veterans service to set rules for the documentation needed to prove disabled veteran status.
• Keeps in place any other application or documentation requirements local governments already impose, aside from the fees themselves.

Disabled veterans in Georgia who need home modifications for accessibility, county and municipal governments that issue building permits and inspections, and the commissioner of veterans service, who would run the new certification process.

Disabled veterans could avoid fees that the bill's findings say can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, reducing the cost of making their homes accessible. Local governments would lose that fee revenue for this specific category of building work.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Disabled Veteran Home Modification Act.'
• Section 2 states legislative findings that disabled veterans are currently charged building-related fees for disability accommodations.
• Section 3 adds new Code Section 36-80-32, defining 'disabled veteran' by reference to O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48 and creating the certification and fee exemption process.
• Section 3(c) specifically bars permit, plan review, plan examination, inspection, and reinspection fees for certified disabled veterans' disability-related home improvements.
• Section 3(d) clarifies that veterans still must submit any application or documentation a local government otherwise requires.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
4. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2026-02-03House Second Readers (House)

• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)Primary sponsor
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• David Jenkins (R, HD-136)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   173 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #628

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• disabled veterans
• home accessibility
• building permits
• local government fees