---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-26. Required filing; verification of components; failure to file; rules and regulations.
collection: code
id: 36-70-26
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-26 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-26
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-26.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-26/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t36-ch60-92-(v27a)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1fad51cc_0#page=298
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-25.1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-27.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: Effective January 1, 2026.
in_force: true
other_versions:
  - version: Effective until January 1, 2026.
    in_force: false
    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-26.md?version=until+January+1%2C+2026
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: LOCAL GOVERNMENT / Provisions Applicable to Counties and Municipal Corporations / COORDINATED AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND SERVICE DELIVERY BY COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES / (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026.) SERVICE DELIVERY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 36-70-26. Required filing; verification of components; failure to file; rules and regulations.

(a) Each county shall file the agreement for the implementation of strategy required by Code Section 36-70-21 with the department after the agreement has been adopted by resolution as provided for in Code Section 36-70-25.

(b) The department shall, within 30 days of receipt, verify that the strategy includes the components enumerated in Code Section 36-70-23 and the minimum criteria enumerated in Code Section 36-70-24. The department, however, shall neither approve nor disapprove the specific elements or outcomes of the strategy.

(c) In the event that no agreement is properly filed by a county by December 31 of the year following the year in which the county’s ten-year comprehensive plan update is due or within 180 days of the triggering event under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 36-70-21, the department shall notify the affected local governments and all relevant state agencies that the jurisdictions are out of compliance with the laws regarding service delivery strategies, and the sanctions provided for in Code Section 36-70-27 shall apply; provided, however, that, in the event the local governments are participating in a nonbinding arbitration pursuant to Code Section 36-70-25.2, the deadline shall not be extended for more than 180 days.

(d) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations only to the extent necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-70-26, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1567, § 1; Ga. L. 2024, p. 1044, § 1/HB 1407, effective January 1, 2026.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2026, substituted the current provisions of this Code section for the former provisions, which read: “Each county shall file the agreement for the implementation of strategy required by Code Section 36-70-21 with the department. The department shall, within 30 days of receipt, verify that the strategy includes the components enumerated in Code Section 36-70-23 and the minimum criteria enumerated in Code Section 36-70-24. The department, however, shall neither approve nor disapprove the specific elements or outcomes of the strategy.”

## Delayed Effective Date

This Code section is set out twice in this Code. See the delayed effective date note at the beginning of this article.