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Found 75 matching passages in 12 documents.
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · February 11, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 11, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee advanced all five agenda bills: HB 913 on government software contracts, HB 1066 on racetrack nuisance claims, HB 1130 on campaign-funded security, HB 1133 on financing solar projects at closed landfills, and HB 1180 on removing a housing authority bond limit. The racetrack substitute passed 9 to 8 after debate over property owners’ access to courts, changes in racing operations and local authority. The other bills passed by voice vote, with no opposition recorded. During public comment, two witnesses opposed ending Georgia’s participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center, citing concerns about costs, voter records and data security. No action followed those comments.
Okay. Next, we'll ask, uh, Floor Leader Seabaugh to come and present House Bill 1130. And guest. Honored guest. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the committee, I present House Bill 1130, LC 47-39-37. It's titled the SECURE Act. The Georgia SECURE Act is about one simple principle: No one should be discouraged from serving the public because of threats to...
So it requires that security equipment purchased with campaign funds be returned to the campaign or reimbursed at fair market value at the conclusion of the campaign or term of office. So this legislation does not change election procedures, voting laws, or ballot access. It simply provides clarity in a statute, strengthens reporting requirements, and...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · March 18, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 18, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved a substitute for SB 284 that combined authority to order repayment to securities-fraud victims with school-roofing procurement provisions presented from HB 669. Members asked who would be covered by the repayment authority and how victims currently recover money. The committee also approved SB 593, which would require local governments to disclose development impact fees upon a written request describing a project. Both measures passed by voice vote, with no vote counts stated.
Okay, thank you. We've got a couple of lights flashing here. Uh, Representative Adesanya. Th- th- thank you, Chairman. Um, I kinda, like, got lost. Uh, we, we started talking about the compensation from, like, fraud, correct? Correct. And that's to, um, all banks in Georgia? No, so what happens is, so you have someone, a fraudster, who, uh, uh, gets a...
There you go. That one works. Thank you. So does this just apply to individuals, or does it also apply to banks? So, so this applies to anyone who is subject to the Georgia Uniform Securities Act. So anybody, business or individual, who violates that act or is found in violation, uh, this then is appli- applied to them, and an order is issued for them to...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · February 25, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 25, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved HB 812 with changes to construction-permit review procedures, HB 1166 allowing certain small secondary homes, HB 400 offering funding incentives for local housing-policy changes, and HB 863 encouraging state contracts with Georgia small businesses. Members amended the first three before approving them. The committee tabled HB 1315, concerning limits on development moratoriums and compensation for affected property owners, and agreed to send it back to subcommittee. After discussing emergency contacts for apartment properties, response deadlines and penalties under HB 779, the chair designated that discussion a hearing only and said it would return to subcommittee. The meeting ended after the committee lost the attendance needed to conduct business, with remaining business deferred to a future meeting.
Well, it- Or am I wrong on that? Uh, well, I'm n- I'm not certain. That may, that may clarify some of my answer because it's, I read it as a landlord or a manager of any apartment complex. Okay. So I, I, it was just the ambiguity of that. And then- Is this for only apartment complexes, or is it a single-family home that- And then I was interpreting that-...
I'm hoping they're responding and not neglecting, but I think a one-hour timeframe would put them in that, would jeopardize, you know, their margin. Oh, it's on. Thank you. Representative Oliver. I'm concerned about the criminality issue on these apartment complexes. And in my real world- For sure ... of my district, uh, we have very, very expensive...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · January 28, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, January 28, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved HB 903, which the sponsor described as expanding oversight of state agency rules, and HB 140, which would limit cities’ reliance on fines and forfeitures. For HB 140, members adopted an amendment phasing in the limits through 2030 before sending the amended bill to Rules. Both bills passed by voice vote, with no vote counts stated. The chair announced that HB 613 had been withdrawn from the agenda at the sponsor’s request. The committee also heard from DeKalb County’s chief executive about housing affordability, rental registries and rent increases, and from a citizen urging protection of voting access and opposition to federal executive involvement in elections.
Uh, this is a little different from what we normally do, but I think the subject matter is important. It's something that this committee has had extensive discussion on, and we'll have more discussion related to housing and some of our experiences locally here. And, uh, what I'd like to do, if I can, is call on, uh, Representative Mary Margaret Oliver to,...
Um, the issues that we're facing, all 159 counties face them. Uh, and it doesn't matter. This is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue. And across, uh, I'll say Georgia, and in particular in DeKalb County, um, we face some unique issues. And as it relates to housing, uh, I will more than gladly forward to you all our legislative agenda for this...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · March 17, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 17, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee considered a substitute for SB 214 that would move Georgia toward ballots printed on demand, marked by voters and counted by scanners, with full implementation by January 1, 2028. Members and witnesses discussed training, funding, accessibility, equipment security and transferring a ballot-image audit pilot to the State Election Board. Local election officials and several advocacy organizations supported the longer transition, while opponents sought earlier changes or hand-counting. The committee adopted three amendments and rejected three others concerning audit authority or timing. The committee approved the substitute as amended by voice vote, with opposition heard but no final vote count stated.
Um, so I want to say that I do support this bill. I know that you all have worked very hard on this bill. Um, this is something that is setting us up for success and not failure. The timeline was my biggest concern. Um, and I just-- I want to say this, I know that this job is not easy for any of you. Um, I'm a praying woman, so know that you all have been...
I can demonstrate this to you even while I'm still here in this building. I'm happy to do so. The testing labs all miss this, then they're blindly certified, and then we're told, it's shoved down our throats that everything is safe and secure. It's absolutely not. We're being lied to from the very top. The whole thing is built on a pyramid of lies, and we...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · February 23, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 23, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard proposals on workforce coordination, homelessness services, public officials’ financial interests, housing and local school superintendents. It approved HB 1396, approved HB 1362 with an amendment extending restrictions to federal agencies and departments, and approved HR 1348. Members heard HB 1166 without voting and requested revisions addressing concerns about its scope. The committee amended HB 1177 to raise its income limit, then tabled it while another amendment remained unresolved. The opening portion covered HB 1302, but the transcript shows no vote on that proposal.
Yes. Is that what you're asking? It kind of... I- is that something... So I'm just making sure that in this bill- Mm-hmm ... um, I wanna make sure that it is, that it's in the bill. So I, I guess I don't see where that kind of action could be prohibited, right? So I would imagine that I have a larger parcel, and then I'm shrinking that down to maybe just...
So what we're trying to do is come up with creative ways that they can have housing on properties that are already there. Um, it could be family members or it could be rental property. But there are a couple barriers that you can see on lines 39 through 43, where there are some guidelines for that. So, and sh- and walk me through that. What was those lines...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · March 26, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 26, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved three bills and tabled another. Members tabled SB 21 after its original sponsor asked to restore language allowing lawsuits against local governments over violations of Georgia immigration law. The committee approved a monument-protection substitute to SB 175 by a 9-5 vote. Members approved SB 423 with an amendment narrowing its proposed limit on out-of-state campaign contributions to candidates and campaign committees, following debate over constitutional concerns and reporting burdens. The committee also approved SB 437, covering private residential building inspections, after changing the project-cost threshold for higher insurance coverage.
Thank you. Okay, the last, uh- Oh, uh, yes. Who's, who's the House sponsor for you, Senator Benton? Uh, Representative Jason Ridley. Jason Ridley? Yes, sir. Okay. Representative Ridley. Yes. Okay, now we're down to our last bill. The, uh, the Senate sponsor of the bill is unable to be here because he's, uh, presiding over meetings passing House bills now,...
Fees must reflect actual cost of regulation. Uh, H4, uh, application completeness timeline within five business days. Uh, if incomplete, they must provide written notice of the deficiencies, and review timeline is a 15-day total review clock. Uh, tolling applica- a- applies if incomplete. Inspection availability, H5, uh, within two business days. Local...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · June 22, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, June 22, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee held a hearing only on SB 3, which addresses future voting equipment, election audits and the deadline for removing QR codes from vote counting. Discussion centered on a Senate-added requirement to hand-count the top two races before certification. Committee members and witnesses raised questions about accuracy, staffing, costs, deadlines and whether parts of the bill fit the special session’s scope. Supporters said hand counts could uncover machine errors and increase confidence. Many witnesses asked the committee to remove the hand-count requirement. The chair said discussions about a possible substitute were underway and another meeting might occur the next morning. No amendment or vote occurred before adjournment.
Again, I think the, uh, uh, the legislation's silent, but if the Secretary of State is gonna rely on local certifications to make the final statewide certification decision, then I would hope that we could have all, uh, required processes for validating that prior to local certification. Okay. Thank you. Representative Roberts. Thank you, Mr. Chair I know,...
We already do hand counts. We do small hand counts as part of our risk-limiting audits. Election experts recognize our RLAs as the gold standard. Ours have consistently shown that Georgia's machine tabulators count every vote quickly, securely, and accurately. So I know we've talked about bank accounts. So imagine, and if people said, you know, "I count my...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · February 4, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 4, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved two bills. HB 1066 would protect established racing facilities from certain nuisance claims within five miles. Members debated the size of that area, residents’ access to courts and whether protection should cover nuisances other than noise. Amendments to reduce the radius and limit protection to noise claims failed, and the bill passed by voice vote. HB 1027 would allow participating local governments to make retail electricity contracts lasting up to 20 years rather than 10. The sponsor said longer contracts would help recover infrastructure costs from large customers. It passed with no opposition voiced. The chair initially announced HB 166, but the presentation that followed concerned HB 1066; no substantive discussion of HB 166 followed.
Yeah. Where's the bill? Yeah. Thank you. All r- all right, Mr. Chairman, you're here to present House Bill 1027. I'm gonna turn on the table mic. It's all yours, sir. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The, uh, House Bill 1027, LC473866, this is a bill designed to protect MEAG customers, the rate payers, uh, by allowing, uh, the cities and county that...
Am I asking correctly? No. No, th- this does not lock a rate. Uh, it, it basically, uh, the, the rate, the, these contracts are- I mean contracts ... right. Right. The contract is so that if, if you come, if you come to the city, the MEAG city or the MEAG county- Mm-hmm ... and you say that I want to build a, a large load industry in this community, and I'd...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · March 2, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 2, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved HB 1177, HB 1260 and HB 1299, covering development-authority housing financing, training requirements for local elected officials and hospital partnerships with physicians. It also approved HB 1447 after adding a requirement to review utility bond structures. The committee heard competing arguments on HB 1384, which would redirect part of municipal utility franchise revenue to counties, but held no vote. After testimony supporting and opposing expanded city control over development-authority activity in Fulton County, the committee approved HB 1386.
Welcome, Kim. Thank you. I'm gonna ask, uh, Representative Al Williams, if you would like to come on, we'll, we'll go ahead and, uh, let you present House Bill 1177, and I do believe we have a sub to that. So if you will, Representative, uh, give us the LC number on the sub. Your Honor, I came to present this bill. Proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I'll...
I, I, I'm, that's, that's a discussion between Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission. That's not something that GMA or the Georgia cities have any control over. So we, we just think you should recognize that cities are exercising their lawful authority to control their right of way. Not only do they have to mow the grass and all of that that was,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · March 5, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, March 5, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved six bills: HB 467 on monument protection and relocation, HB 1482 on county use of Atlanta’s jail, HB 868 on health coverage for retiring county officers, HB 613 on apprenticeship information, HB 1227 on voter-registration notifications, and HB 1442 on limits to local development moratoriums. Members debated monument lawsuits, local control over jail facilities, retirement benefits and development decisions. The committee initially tabled HB 1482, then brought it back and approved it 9-4 without public testimony. It approved HB 467 6-5 after rejecting a naming amendment. Members amended HB 868 to include county commissioners and change coverage-administration provisions, and amended HB 1442 with changes suggested by the Georgia Municipal Association.
is missing at the moment. All right. Okay, we're gonna stand at ease for just a moment, and let's see if we can round up the representative. Okay, I'm gonna recognize, uh, Chairman Gullett. This is a bill related to, uh, local, so moratoriums. Um, there happens to be a situation that, that brought this bill. There was a development going on. They had their...
Second. Okay, who made the motion? I did. Okay. Chairman Gullett. All right, now we're gonna recognize Mr. Morelli for the language of this motion. Okay, so actually it's fairly simple. We're just doing a lot of, uh, some striking. So on, uh, line 15, go towards the end of that line, um, starting with, "Or any officer," we're going to strike, "Or any...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee · February 18, 2026
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 18, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved all five bills it considered: SB 51, HB 502, HB 1129, HB 1247 and HB 963. Members amended SB 51 to delay its effective date to July 1, 2027. Discussion covered local government contracting, voting access for people with young children, limits on enterprise zones, courts’ treatment of agency interpretations of law, and foreign money in referendum campaigns. The longest debate concerned HB 1247, including questions about judicial independence, agency expertise and possible appeals. A motion to table that bill failed before the committee approved it. Opposition was heard on the voice votes for SB 51, HB 1247 and HB 963, but no vote counts were stated.
Okay. Next, let's see, is, uh, Chairman Chuck Martin in the room yet? I know there's a lot of meetings going on. I was concerned we were gonna have a quorum, much less get people here. So, uh, we're gonna move on. We'll move on to, uh, House Bill 1129. Governor's Floor Leader Seabaugh, if you'll come to the table with guest and, uh, introduce your guest for...
Third, it limits the number of EZs under subsection G that can simultaneously exist in an urban redevelopment area to maxima- to a maximum of four. And fourth, it clarifies that the principal amount of a revenue bond pledge for a redevelopment project within an EZ must not be used to return the capital investment made to the redevelopment project to...
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