--- title: House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, February 11, 2026 collection: meetings id: 2026-02-11/house-game-fish-and-parks cite_as: House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, February 11, 2026, video https://vimeo.com/1164100573 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11/house-game-fish-and-parks md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11/house-game-fish-and-parks.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11/house-game-fish-and-parks/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1164100573 date: 2026-02-11 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11/house-technology-and-infrastructure-innovation.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-11/senate-health-and-human-services.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: House body: House Game, Fish & Parks Committee body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/house-game-fish-and-parks.md meeting_kind: committee session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-02-11T15:30:00-05:00 location: 415 CLOB duration_seconds: 908.0 video_id: 1164100573 video_title: Game, Fish and Parks 02.11.26 agenda_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/house/Game, Fish and Parks%2FGF&P Meeting Notice-2-11-26up.pdf bills_discussed: - SB 420 - HB 1266 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 51 --- # House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, February 11, 2026 House Game, Fish & Parks Committee; February 11, 2026; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1164100573. Agenda: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/house/Game, Fish and Parks%2FGF&P Meeting Notice-2-11-26up.pdf. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The committee took up and approved two bills by voice vote, with no vote counts stated. The sponsor of [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420) described fishing-related fees as a way to improve fishery data and support Georgia’s effort to gain more control over coastal fishing management. The bill also included Department of Natural Resources rule updates. The sponsor of [HB 1266](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1266) proposed removing a 9.9-horsepower motor limit on a section of the Ogeechee River. The chair reported community support for that change and said the department had no objections. ## Bills discussed (2) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### SB 420. License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:09:00](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=540s), turns 9 to 34. The sponsor said the bill would establish fishing-related fees to support better fishery data and Georgia’s effort to move coastal fishery management closer to the state rather than the federal government. The sponsor said Gulf states were already pursuing this approach and argued that the fishing industry supported paying a fee to benefit the industry and Georgia’s coastal economy. The sponsor also described a second section as an annual update putting Department of Natural Resources board rules into law. The chair said surveys and data were needed to support Georgia’s effort to control its own fishery, and noted that the governor and lawmakers had sent letters supporting that effort. No substantive questions or opposition were offered. The committee approved a motion to pass by voice vote; no count was stated. ### HB 1266. Watercraft; use of certain motors on vessels being operated on the Ogeechee River; repeal a provision [HB 1266](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1266) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:12:56](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=776s), turns 35 to 48. The sponsor said the bill would remove a prohibition on motors exceeding 9.9 horsepower on a small section of the Ogeechee River. The sponsor described the restriction as unique in Georgia and said it dated back 30 to 40 years, arguing that the shift from two-cycle to four-cycle motors supported removing it. The chair said residents had submitted numerous petitions requesting the change and that the Department of Natural Resources had no objections. No substantive questions or opposition were offered. The committee approved a motion to pass by voice vote; no count was stated. ## Transcript (51 turns) [0:07:11](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=431s) What's up? [0:07:57](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=477s) We're gonna go on and call this meeting to order. If we could, I'm gonna ask Chairman Tarver and Phil to open us, open us up with a word of prayer. [0:08:04](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=484s) Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we, uh, thank you for this time that we have here together, and, uh, we pray that, uh, we'd look to you for guidance and you would watch over us, give us the wisdom it takes to do what's best for the people of Georgia. In your name, we pray. Amen. [0:08:24](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=504s) Amen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Hey, are you and Mr. Rushro- [0:08:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=508s) No. Uh-uh. [0:08:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=508s) Okay. [0:08:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=508s) No, I'm good, man. You want to do this first? [0:08:32](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=512s) All right. We're, we, we're gonna be hospital- hospitable over here, so we need the senator to go back and relay the message to his, uh, comrades over there that we're gonna let him lead us off, and we're taking care of him. Senator Echols, the stage is yours, buddy. [0:08:48](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=528s) Make a motion we vote no. [0:08:52](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=532s) I don't, I don't doubt it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for, uh, for, um, having me here today. I'm here to talk about, uh, Senate Bill 420, and let's just be clear on the front end of this, um, you guys have probably forgotten more about fishing and baiting hooks, uh, than I will ever know. Um, but I, I was asked to carry this bill, and I would tell you, to me, a, a couple things stick out. Um, I... Look, I am very aware of what this means to the coast of Georgia, and as y'all know, I chaired a tourism study committee over the summer. [0:09:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=568s) Uh, this is a shot in the arm. It's what we need. The Gulf states are already doing it. We need to get this out of the hands of the feds, um, down on our, um, East Coast, on the Atlantic Coast. Um, so for me, it's an opportunity to get this out of the hands of the feds. Let's, let's get it, the power closer to the house. Um, you've also got, you... Some of my colleagues, they worry about fees and, and taxes and things like that. [0:09:59](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=599s) I'm sure some of y'all's colleagues do as well, but when you got an industry that's asking for a fee to make their industry and the state of Georgia better, I think it's time for us to listen. So I mean, you got those, um, those three things right there that this bill covers, and then also, um, the second section of, um, of the bill is, is- Mr. Chairman. [0:10:23](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=623s) Yeah. [0:10:24](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=624s) D- real quick. Will you just, just so everybody's on the right page and we know, will you just quote the LC number so we know where- [0:10:29](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=629s) Yes, sir. I'm sorry. Uh, LC443323. [0:10:33](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=633s) There you go. [0:10:33](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=633s) Senate- [0:10:33](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=633s) Sorry to interrupt you. Go ahead. [0:10:34](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=634s) Uh, Senate Bill 420. Um, sorry about that. But, um, so quite simply, let's get it out of the hands of the feds. Let's get some real data as far as how many fish are actually out there that our folks, our anglers can, uh, can catch. Um, let's make the, uh, let's make it a, a, a strong economic impact for, for an industry that we all love, uh, down there on the coast. And, um, again, going back to that second section of the bill, uh, that simple, uh, DNR housekeeping language that, um, do this on a yearly basis and, um, kind of codifies some of the rules that their board has, um, has, uh, come up with over the past year. [0:11:25](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=685s) With that, I'll take any questions. [0:11:27](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=687s) Thank you, sir. And, you know, just a refresher to everybody, I know, uh, we've seen this bill last year. Um, I know the Senate's seen it. We've seen it. If y'all don't remember, and, and I may ask in a little bit if the commissioner, somebody wants to come up and, and just kind of brief everybody again if you think we need to, but this is what we're trying to do to get the data, to get these surveys so we can go in there. We've had the governor send a letter. We've, a number of us have sent letters. We're trying as the state of Georgia to do like a few of our neighbors. We wanna control our own fishery. [0:11:58](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=718s) So that is the premise of this bill, and then the second half of the bill, like Chairman stated, is kind of the housekeeping, uh, side for the DNR, which then basically is us codifying our rules and regs that the board set forth, uh, this past year. So with that, didn't know if that would, uh, help y'all with any of the questions, but somebody's blinking. [0:12:17](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=737s) Oh, I, I hit my mic. [0:12:18](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=738s) You did. Uh, does anybody have any questions for the author? [0:12:26](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=746s) Rob, now is the time. I'd like to make a motion. [0:12:27](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=747s) Well, now is the time. [0:12:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=748s) I make a motion to pass. [0:12:29](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=749s) I've got a motion. Do I have a second? [0:12:31](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=751s) Second. [0:12:31](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=751s) I've got a second. All in favor say aye. [0:12:34](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=754s) Aye. [0:12:35](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=755s) All opposed. Thank you, sir. [0:12:37](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=757s) Thank you, committee members, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it. [0:12:39](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=759s) Yes, sir. Thank you. Mr. Commissioner, would you, would you or your team or anybody like to add- [0:12:45](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=765s) We could do, we could do no better job than [0:12:49](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=769s) Okay. Thank you, sir. All right. Moving on now, we have, uh, Mr. Ridley, and we've got House Bill 1266. So I'm gonna turn it over to Mr. Ridley. [0:13:02](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=782s) All right. Thank you. Um, House Bill 1266, LC number 600277. Uh, I'll try to, to go through this bill quickly, uh, but it is gonna take a little bit of time. Um, if you look on line 12 through 14, all we're doing is removing, uh, once the part there that, uh, about the nine, that you couldn't have a motor that exceeded the 9.9 horsepower on, for a boat on one small section of Ogeechee River. Uh, that's the only place in the state of Georgia that's like that. [0:13:34](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=814s) Uh, that was done about 30, 40 years ago, and everybody knows that now things are not two-cycle anymore, they're four-cycle. So that's the reason it was done, so we're just removing that. [0:13:46](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=826s) Okay. That's the crux of the bill. Do we have any questions? Does anybody have any questions about that? I will add that, um, we've had a bunch of talk on this matter during the off-season. There were a lot of petitions that were, uh, that were formed and signed and, and sent in to us. So this was kind of a, a, a big ask from a big part of the community down there on that stretch of the Ogeechee River. And, um, I know the department does not have any problems with this. And, uh, like we say, the, the motors have come a long way in the last 30, 40 years. [0:14:18](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=858s) No, you can, no, you can use any motor. [0:14:20](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=860s) So, um, what is... No, no, no questions for the author. [0:14:24](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=864s) I'm just, I'm real anxious. [0:14:26](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=866s) All right. Well, what is the will of the committee? [0:14:28](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=868s) Move to pass. [0:14:29](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=869s) I've got a, I've got a motion to, uh, to pass. Do I have a second? [0:14:33](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=873s) Second. [0:14:34](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=874s) I've got a second. All in favor say aye. [0:14:37](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=877s) Aye. [0:14:37](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=877s) Any opposed? I- [0:14:40](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=880s) Y'all finished? [0:14:41](https://vimeo.com/1164100573#t=881s) I, I think y'all see we're at the part where we're all in 14 different meetings, running to these meetings, running away, so we're taking care of business and getting on. I thank y'all for coming. Y'all have a good day.