HB 454: Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act; enact

Georgia currently has no dedicated state fund for preserving Civil War, Revolutionary War, or War of 1812 battlefield sites. This bill adds a new article to Georgia's parks and historic areas law (O.C.G.A. Title 12, Chapter 3) creating the Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund and a matching grant program run by the Department of Natural Resources. The fund would hold state appropriations, grants, gifts, and other contributions dedicated to battlefield preservation. Nonprofit organizations or state agencies could apply for matching grants to buy land or permanent protective interests, such as conservation easements, in battlefields listed on specific federal historic battlefield reports. Grants require at least a one to one match in outside contributions and cannot exceed half the appraised value of the property. Any property acquired must be protected by a perpetual conservation easement. The department can use up to 5 percent of the fund for administrative costs and must report annual spending to state budget offices by January 1 each year.

• Establishes the Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund in the state treasury to hold state, federal, and private money for battlefield preservation.
• Creates a matching grant program administered by the Department of Natural Resources for nonprofits and state agencies to buy interests in Georgia battlefields.
• Requires grant applicants to provide at least a dollar-for-dollar match in outside funding, with state funds excluded from that match unless the applicant is a state agency.
• Caps grants at 50 percent of the appraised value of the land or protective interest being acquired.
• Requires any organization that acquires property under the program to place a perpetual conservation easement (a permanent legal restriction on land use) on it.
• Allows the department to use up to 5 percent of the fund each year for its own administrative costs running the program.

Nonprofit historic preservation organizations, state agencies involved in preserving natural or cultural resources, the Department of Natural Resources, landowners near or holding historic battlefield sites, and the state treasury and budget offices that track the fund's spending.

The bill gives Georgia a dedicated funding mechanism, backed by matching private and federal dollars, to permanently protect historic battlefields from development. Landowners near these sites could see new buyers or easement holders, and preservation groups gain a state grant source they did not previously have.

• Section 12-3-711 defines key terms, including 'organization' (a tax-exempt nonprofit involved in land preservation) and 'matching contributions.'
• Section 12-3-712 creates the trust fund in the state treasury, funded by state appropriations, grants, gifts, and other contributions, with annual accounting due to state budget offices by January 1.
• Section 12-3-713 sets grant eligibility rules: battlefields must appear on specific national Civil War or Revolutionary War/War of 1812 preservation reports, a 1:1 match is required, and grants cannot exceed 50 percent of appraised value.
• Section 12-3-713 also allows grants for past purchases closed within 12 months if a preservation threat existed at the time.
• Section 12-3-713(g) caps administrative spending from the fund at 5 percent of total fund money per year.
• Section 12-3-714 directs the department to prioritize factors like battlefield significance, threats to the site, and the applicant's financial and management capacity when awarding grants.
• Section 12-3-715 requires a perpetual conservation easement on any acquired property and allows later transfer of protected land to state or federal conservation systems.

1. 2025-05-12Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-12Act 116
3. 2025-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senado)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senado)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senado)
8. 2025-03-25Senate Recommitted (Senado)

• Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)Patrocinador principal
• Marcus Wiedower (R, HD-121)
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• Gary Richardson (R, HD-125)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes3 de marzo de 2025

   157 a favor, 14 en contra (4 sin votar, 5 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #138

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado2 de abril de 2025

   47 a favor, 0 en contra (9 sin votar, 0 ausentes)

   Passage: Senate Vote #388

• battlefield preservation
• historic preservation funding
• conservation easements
• state grant programs
• Department of Natural Resources