HB1522: HB1522 Clayton County Water Authority; fix compensation and reimbursement of expenses for members; authorize

The Clayton County Water Authority was created by a 1955 state law that has been amended several times since. This bill changes a specific part of that law, subsection (b) of Section 4, to say the authority's board itself can set the compensation and reimbursement of expenses for its own board members. The bill does include one guardrail: before the board can raise pay or expense reimbursements, it must publish notice of its intent to do so in Clayton County's official legal organ (the newspaper designated for legal notices) once a week for three consecutive weeks before taking the action. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not name a separate effective date beyond standard enactment.

• Amends Section 4(b) of the 1955 Act creating the Clayton County Water Authority to let the board fix its own members' compensation and expense reimbursement.
• Requires public notice before any pay increase: the board must publish intent to raise compensation or reimbursements weekly for three consecutive weeks in Clayton County's official legal organ.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this new arrangement for the authority.

Members of the Clayton County Water Authority board, who would gain authority to set their own pay and expense reimbursement, and Clayton County residents who rely on the authority's water services and its public accountability.

Board members currently operating under a decades-old compensation structure would gain direct control over their own pay and expenses, subject to a public notice requirement before any increase, changing how compensation decisions for this local water authority are made.

• Section 1 revises subsection (b) of Section 4 of the 1955 Act, giving the board power to fix compensation and reimbursement of expenses for its own members.
• Section 1 also requires advance public notice in the county's official legal organ, published weekly for three consecutive weeks, before any increase in compensation or reimbursement takes effect.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)
3. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-31House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
5. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-06House Hopper (House)

• Rhonda Burnough (D, HD-077)Primary sponsor
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   161 yea, 3 nay (5 not voting, 7 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #803

• Clayton County
• water authority
• local government
• board compensation
• public notices