Similar to SB 172, this mammoth preemption legislation prohibits cities and counties from regulating "building design elements" in single or double family dwellings.  Local governments could no longer enact standards on:

-      exterior building color,

-      type or style of exterior cladding material, 

-      style or materials of roof structures or porches,

-      exterior nonstructural architectural ornamentation,

-      location or architectural styling of windows and doors, including garage doors,

-      the number and types of rooms, 

-      the interior layout of rooms, and

-      types of foundation structures approved under state minimum standard codes.  

In short, if a house meets state minimum standard building codes, it can be built.  The legislation would not apply to state or federal historic districts, mobile homes and homes governed by a neighborhood association or covenant.  

If applicable, please share examples of how this would impact any local design standards that your county has adopted with Todd Edwards (tedwards@accg.org).    

This omnibus elections legislation provides that the state will provide new, uniform voting machines for every county in Georgia "as soon as possible".  Voting equipment would consist of ballot marking devices (electronic devices, similar to the DRE interface currently used) which produce a paper ballot that is then scanned into a recording device that tabulates votes.  Among other election revisions, the bill provides additional notice before a voter's registration is rejected, before a felon is removed from the rolls, and to those appearing to have moved to another state; changes from 3 to 5 years the period of inactivity before a voter is removed from the rolls, also requiring notification prior to removal; requires counties to provide additional notice of any precinct changes; provides a cure period if a voter's signature on an absentee ballot does not mirror that used in registration; and lifts the 10-voter limit on persons assisting disabled or other individuals complete absentee ballots.  Lastly, the bill enrolls Georgia in a 25-state collaboration - the Electronic Registration Information Center - to share voting information in order to track and cancel voters who move out of state.  For a more thorough summary of HB 316, please click here.

Following up on last session's HB 489, this bill makes changes to local requirements on posting bids and proposals on the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR).  Under current law, if a local government extends a bid or proposal for goods or services valued at over $10,000, they must also advertise them on the GPR.  This bill increases that monetary threshold to only goods or services valued at over $100,000.  In return, however, locals must advertise the bid/proposal on the GPR for the same period of time “as set by ordinance or practice” of the local government.