HB1103: HB1103 Happy Highways Grant Program; establishment of and purpose; provide

Georgia law currently limits what kinds of signs and displays can go up along the state highway system within 660 feet of the right of way. This bill would add a new option: county-sponsored murals promoting tourism and beautification. The Georgia Department of Transportation would be required, by July 1, 2027 and subject to the legislature actually funding it, to set up the Happy Highways Grant Program. Counties could apply for one-time grants, capped at $150,000 per mural, to put up to two murals on bridges or overpasses along the state highway system in their county. If no suitable bridge exists, a county could instead erect up to two signs containing a mural. Murals would have to reflect the county's culture, values, or history and meet existing sign rules. The whole law only takes effect if the General Assembly specifically appropriates money for it, and it automatically repeals on December 31, 2026 if that funding never comes through.

• Creates the Happy Highways Grant Program at the Georgia Department of Transportation to fund county murals along the state highway system.
• Caps grant awards at $150,000.00 per mural and limits each county to murals on up to two bridges, overpasses, or roadside signs.
• Requires counties to apply through a process the department will design and follow rules the department sets.
• Adds mural signs to the list of roadside displays exempt from certain outdoor advertising restrictions near state highways (O.C.G.A. § 32-6-72).
• Requires mural content to reflect a county's culture, values, or history and comply with existing sign placement laws.
• Makes the entire Act contingent on the General Assembly appropriating funding, with automatic repeal on December 31, 2026 if no funding is provided.

County governments across Georgia, which could apply for mural grants; the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must build and run the program; and drivers and residents who would see new murals on highway bridges, overpasses, or roadside signs.

If funded, counties could use state money to add murals celebrating local history or culture along highways, potentially boosting tourism and roadside appearance. But because the law only takes effect with a specific appropriation and expires automatically at the end of 2026 without one, its practical effect depends entirely on future budget decisions.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 32-6-72 to add murals erected under the new program to the list of signs allowed near the state highway system in commercial or industrial areas.
• Section 2 creates new Code Section 32-6-87.2, establishing the Happy Highways Grant Program by July 1, 2027, subject to legislative appropriations.
• Section 2 caps grants at $150,000.00 per mural and limits counties to murals on up to two bridges or overpasses, or up to two roadside signs if no suitable bridge exists.
• Section 2 requires mural content to focus on a county's culture, values, or history and comply with existing sign content and placement rules (O.C.G.A. §§ 32-6-52 and 32-6-75).
• Section 2 requires counties to apply to the Department of Transportation using a process the department will establish.
• Section 3 makes the Act effective only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it, and provides automatic repeal on December 31, 2026 if no funding is provided.

1. 2026-02-03House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-02House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-29House Hopper (House)

• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)Primary sponsor
• Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)

• highway signs
• tourism funding
• county grants
• roadside murals
• transportation policy