HB 1599: Sandersville School Building Authority; members; revise qualification

The Sandersville School Building Authority was created by a 2015 state law to oversee a school building project in Washington County. That law set specific membership categories, such as a representative of the Washington County Historical Society, arts community members, and representatives of the kaolin industry and agricultural community, and required members to live in Washington County. This bill amends the 2015 Act to expand the residency rule so that members can live in Washington County or in any county that touches its borders. The specific membership categories and seat counts, such as two arts representatives and three at-large members, stay the same. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date.

• Expands eligibility for the Sandersville School Building Authority so members can reside in Washington County or any county contiguous to it, rather than only Washington County.
• Keeps the existing membership categories unchanged, including seats for the historical society, arts community, kaolin industry, agriculture, chamber of commerce, and at-large members.
• Repeals any state or local laws that conflict with this residency change.

This affects residents of Washington County and neighboring counties who might serve on the Sandersville School Building Authority, as well as the authority itself, which oversees school building matters in the Sandersville area.

By allowing residents of nearby counties to fill authority seats, the bill widens the pool of eligible candidates, which could make it easier to fill required positions like the kaolin industry or arts representatives if qualified Washington County residents are unavailable.

• Section 1 revises paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Section 4 of the 2015 Act to allow members to reside in Washington County or any contiguous county.
• Section 1 restates the full list of required membership categories, including one Historical Society representative, two arts representatives, one kaolin industry representative, one agricultural representative, one Chamber of Commerce representative, and three at-large members.
• Section 2 repeals any laws that conflict with this amendment.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 693
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2026-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senado)
6. 2026-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senado)
7. 2026-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
8. 2026-03-27House Passed/Adopted (Cámara de Representantes)

• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)Patrocinador principal

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes27 de marzo de 2026

   153 a favor, 0 en contra (20 sin votar, 3 ausentes)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #772

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado2 de abril de 2026

   49 a favor, 0 en contra (3 sin votar, 2 ausentes)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #927

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