HB1599: HB1599 Sandersville School Building Authority; members; revise qualification

The Sandersville School Building Authority was created by a 2015 Georgia law to oversee school building projects in Washington County. That law set specific membership rules, including representatives from groups like the Washington County Historical Society, the arts community, the kaolin industry, agriculture, and the Chamber of Commerce, plus three at-large members. House Bill 1599 amends the 2015 Act by rewriting the residency qualification for authority members. Instead of requiring members to live in Washington County, the bill allows members to be residents of Washington County or any county that touches (is contiguous to) Washington County. The specific category requirements for each seat, such as the historical society or kaolin industry representative, remain unchanged. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date, so it would take effect once signed.

• Broadens the residency requirement for Sandersville School Building Authority members to include residents of Washington County or any contiguous county, not just Washington County.
• Keeps the same list of required seats, including representatives of the historical society, arts community, kaolin industry, agriculture, Chamber of Commerce, and at-large members.
• Repeals any prior laws that conflict with this residency change.

People eligible to serve or currently serving on the Sandersville School Building Authority, residents of Washington County and its neighboring counties, and the specific community groups named in the law such as the Washington County Historical Society, arts organizations, the kaolin industry, agriculture, and the Chamber of Commerce.

By widening the pool of eligible members beyond Washington County to include nearby counties, the authority could draw board members from a larger area, potentially making it easier to fill seats that require specific professional or community backgrounds.

• Section 1 amends Section 4, paragraph (2), subsection (a) of the 2015 Act to change member residency from Washington County only to Washington County or any contiguous county.
• Section 1 preserves the required seat categories: historical society, arts (visual and theater), kaolin industry, agriculture and agribusiness, Chamber of Commerce, and three at-large community members.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 693
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)

• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)Primary sponsor

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

• Sandersville
• Washington County
• school building authority
• local government boards