Georgia CommonsSearch bills
Words find bills whose text, title, or summary carries them; a bill number such as HB 340 opens that bill. Search matches the words of the bill: ask in the words the bill would use.
40 bills for “Conservation and natural resources”.
Conservation and natural resources; fee for motor vehicle emissions inspections; revise provisions
Summary by Georgia Commons: A House committee substitute for HB 663 would raise the maximum fee Georgia can charge for motor vehicle emissions inspections from $25 to $35 and allow that cap to rise or fall each year with inflation.
Executive director, staff, and members of the Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution commends Rhonda Gordon, staff, and members of the Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council for their work in southwest Georgia.
Conservation and natural resources; outdoor stewardship; eliminate reductions in appropriations
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 919 would remove the rules that automatically cut state funding to Georgia's Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund when sporting goods sales tax revenue drops, keeping the fund's 40 percent appropriation steady.
Conservation and natural resources; grants and special revenue disbursements; revise provisions
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 532 would let counties with large tracts of state-owned conservation land collect grants under two separate Georgia code sections at once, removing a current ban on double-dipping. The Governor vetoed the bill in May 2025.
Termed and perpetual conservation easements; important tools for promoting conservation practices; express support
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution would formally express the House's support for termed and perpetual conservation easements as tools to encourage voluntary land conservation on private property.
Rabon, Commissioner Walter; recognize
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia Senate resolution formally recognizes Walter Rabon, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, for receiving the 2026 Conservation Trailblazer Award from the Dallas Safari Club.
Turner, Howard "Sonny"; induction into the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts' Hall of Fame; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution congratulates Howard "Sonny" Turner of Walton County on his induction into the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts' Hall of Fame.
Conservation and natural resources; prescribed burning for silviculture purposes is exempt from certain burning notice and permit requirements; clarify
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House bill would rewrite state forestry law to spell out that local governments cannot use ordinances to block prescribed burning done for silviculture (forest management) purposes, and it defines those terms more precisely.
Income tax; donation of real property for conservation purposes; revise tax credits
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 1148 would increase Georgia's income tax credit for donating land or conservation easements, raise the yearly cap on those credits back to $30 million, and shift review of land appraisals from the State Properties Commission to the Department of Natural Resources.
Sport Fish Restoration Program; part of the American System of Conservation Funding; 75th anniversary; recognize
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution commends the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program on its 75th anniversary, recognizing its role in funding fish and wildlife conservation nationwide.
Georgia Wildlife Federation; honoring the accomplishments; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution commends the Georgia Wildlife Federation for 90 years of wildlife conservation work in the state, marking a ceremonial honor with no changes to law.
Bona Fide Conservation Use Property; the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation; increase
Summary by Georgia Commons: Senate Bill 43 would raise the acreage cap for Georgia's conservation use property tax break from 2,000 acres to 6,000 acres, but only if voters approve a related constitutional amendment in November 2026.
Revenue and taxation; increase maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation as a bona fide conservation use property
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 90 would double the maximum acreage that can qualify for Georgia's bona fide conservation use property tax break, from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres, if voters approve a related constitutional amendment in November 2026.
Georgia Wildlife Federation; honor
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Senate resolution honors the Georgia Wildlife Federation for 90 years of wildlife conservation work in Georgia, recognizing its role in habitat protection and outdoor education.
South River Watershed Alliance; recognize
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Senate resolution honors the South River Watershed Alliance on its 25th anniversary for its work protecting the South River, which flows through several metro Atlanta area counties.
Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act; enact
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 454 creates the Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund, a new state fund and grant program to help nonprofits and state agencies buy or protect historically significant Georgia battlefields.
Poindexter, Deetra; The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts' 2025 Supervisor of the Year; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution formally commends Deetra Poindexter, District Supervisor for the Clayton County Conservation District, for being named the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts' 2025 Supervisor of the Year.
Georgia Forestry Commission; serving the State of Georgia as an emergency response agency; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution formally commends the Georgia Forestry Commission for its work protecting the state's forests and responding to wildfires and other emergencies.
The importance of regulated trapping; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution formally recognizes regulated trapping as an important tool for wildlife conservation and management, without changing any state law or regulation.
Special license plates; support state parks and historic sites; establish
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 208 changes Georgia's free license plate rules for totally disabled veterans and creates several new specialty plates, including one supporting state parks and historic sites and another for black bass conservation.
Bona Fide Conservation Use Property; the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation; increase
Summary by Georgia Commons: Senate Bill 45 would double the maximum acreage eligible for Georgia's bona fide conservation use tax break, from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres, for farmers, timber owners and family farm entities.
Conservation and natural resources; increase project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 1277 would raise the cost threshold that triggers state environmental review for public road and airport projects from $100 million to $200 million, change several Department of Transportation reporting rules, and adjust electric vehicle charging definitions.
"Quality Basic Education Act"; grants for educational programs; provisions relative to the teacher recruitment and retention tax credit program; revise
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia Senate bill would expand the state's teacher recruitment and retention tax credit program to 1,200 teachers a year, lower the credit for future participants, and separately loosen the conservation land donation tax credit program.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources; establish regulations for placement of lifeguards on Georgia's public beaches during times of high occupancy; urge
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution urges the Department of Natural Resources to create rules requiring lifeguards on public beaches during crowded, high-occupancy periods.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites; commend
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution commends the Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks & Historic Sites for its work in 2025, including its response to Hurricane Helene.
Natural Resources, Department of; five-year moratorium on acceptance of applications for new or requests to modify existing permits; provisions
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House bill would bar the Environmental Protection Division from accepting new or expanded surface mining permit applications on Trail Ridge, near the Okefenokee Swamp, for five years starting July 1, 2025.
Reheis, Harold Franklin; condolences
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Harold Franklin Reheis, the former director of Georgia's Environmental Protection Division, following his death at age 81.
Game and fish; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsements; provide
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia Senate substitute for HB 443 would repeal the state's raw dairy sales law and create new paid endorsements for reef and migratory fish fishing, with separate fees for residents and nonresidents.
Watercraft; require probable cause for summonses and boarding vessels
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House bill would require law enforcement to have probable cause before stopping, boarding, or searching a boat, or issuing a summons under the state's watercraft law.
Game and fish; Georgia turkey stamps; provide
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia Senate substitute for HB 432 would require turkey hunters 16 and older to carry a Georgia turkey permit starting in 2027, free for residents and $100 for nonresidents, and would create an optional collectible turkey stamp.
License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide
Summary by Georgia Commons: Senate Bill 420 would create new state fishing endorsements for reef and migratory fish in Georgia, with separate fees for residents and nonresidents, and update reference dates used to define criminal violations of natural resource rules.
Senate Study Committee on Acquiring and Management of Lake Lanier; create
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia Senate resolution would create a study committee to examine whether the state should acquire or take a greater management role over Lake Lanier, which is currently owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Georgia Boater Bill of Rights; enact
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 922 would bar Georgia state and local governments from restricting motor vehicles or watercraft based on their energy source, and would create a new task force to study and improve boating access on state waters.
Natural Resources, Department of; certain notice upon registration of a vessel; provide
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 115 rewrites Georgia's abandoned vessel laws, requiring boat owners to be warned at registration that failing to retrieve an abandoned boat can be a crime, and creating new criminal penalties, notice procedures, and restitution rules for the Department of Natural Resources.
Board of Natural Resources; modify powers and duties
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 351 rewrites parts of Georgia's solid waste management law, changing how landfill and waste facility permits are reviewed, updating public notice rules, and removing the outdated 'special solid waste' category and certain siting restrictions.
Natural Gas Association of Georgia; 10th anniversary; recognize
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House resolution honors the Natural Gas Association of Georgia on its 10th anniversary and congratulates the nominees of its 2025 Everyday Energy Heroes campaign.
Sales and use tax; exempt retail sale of electricity and natural gas for use by any residential property
Summary by Georgia Commons: A Georgia House bill would exempt residential electricity and natural gas purchases from state sales and use tax, but only starting the year after lawmakers repeal a separate existing exemption already on the books.
Ad Valorem Taxation; direct payments to property owners whose property was damaged or destroyed as a result of a certain natural disaster; provide
Summary by Georgia Commons: Senate Bill 304 would let the state send direct payments to Georgia property owners whose homes or land were destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene, covering their 2024 property tax bill, if lawmakers fund the program.
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties for projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize
Summary by Georgia Commons: House Bill 51 would let the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority help finance, build, and regulate natural gas storage and distribution facilities, expanding its role beyond water, sewer, and solid waste projects.
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; finance and perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities; authorize
Summary by Georgia Commons: Senate Bill 13 expands the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority's powers to let it finance and manage natural gas distribution projects and the conversion of overhead power lines to underground lines.