HB1594: HB1594 Riceboro, City of; revise corporate limits

Riceboro operates under a charter the Georgia General Assembly approved in 1992, which spells out the city's official boundaries. This bill amends that charter by adding a new section describing an additional area of land, about 809.33 acres, to be included within the city's corporate limits. The added land is defined using a detailed legal survey description that starts at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 (South Coastal Highway) and Retreat Road, then traces a series of compass directions and distances around the perimeter of the new area back to the starting point. The bill does not change any other part of the city charter. It also repeals any existing laws that conflict with this change, a standard closing provision in Georgia local legislation.

• Adds a new subsection to Section 1.11 of Riceboro's city charter that expands the city's corporate limits to include a new 809.33-acre tract of land.
• Defines the boundary of the newly annexed area using a precise survey description with compass bearings and distances, starting near U.S. Highway 17 and Retreat Road.
• Repeals any prior state laws that conflict with this boundary change, a routine step in local legislation.

Residents, property owners, and businesses located within or near the newly described 809-acre area, who would become part of the City of Riceboro. City officials in Riceboro and Liberty County government would also be affected by the boundary change.

Property brought inside Riceboro's corporate limits would become subject to city taxes, ordinances, and services such as police or utilities rather than only county governance. The change affects who provides local government services and who collects taxes for the newly annexed land.

• Section 1 adds a new subsection (c.1) to Section 1.11 of the 1992 Riceboro city charter, stating the corporate limits now also include a described tract of land.
• The tract is defined by a metes-and-bounds survey beginning at the intersection of U.S. Hwy 17, S. Coastal Hwy, and Retreat Road, running through dozens of directional legs back to the starting point.
• The described tract totals 809.33 acres, according to the bill's text.
• A placeholder subsection labeled '(2) Reserved' is included for possible future use.
• Section 2 repeals all laws or parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 690
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Al Williams (D, HD-168)Primary sponsor
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   153 yea, 0 nay (20 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #772

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #927

• city annexation
• Riceboro
• municipal boundaries
• local government charter
• Liberty County