HB 90 authorizes the state to convey property that is part of the Heritage Trust Program to a willing local government.  It also establishes DNR procedures to convey said property.     

This bill defines contiguous property for the purposes of qualifying for the special tax assessment under the Forestland Protection Act. When a portion of the land under a covenant is sold, it restricts penalties and interest to the party that breaches the covenant on their share of the land owned under the covenant.  The land of the non breaching owner remains in the covenant without penalty.  If property of less than 200 acres is purchased that is contiguous to an existing covenant, it can may be added to the existing covenant for the remainder of the covenant period.

This bill reduces the fine for state agencies and their contractors that violate the Georgia Water Quality Control Act.  It also gives them 30 days to cure any violations before being subject to the fine.  Further, the bill expands the authority of the Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council to include the mediation of disputes over the issuance of orders or levying of fines by EPD.

This bill requires local governments to monitor and report quarterly the volume of surface water withdrawn from a waterway and how much treated water is returned.  If the local government returns less than 75 percent of the water to the waterway they would not be allowed to provide any new water service connection to any residence, building or other facility.  Lots that have septic tanks and are on public water systems (having more than 70,000 connections, or more than 200 accounts per square mile) would have to be at least three acres, but could not have septic tanks permitted during periods of exceptional drought.  Existing smaller lots on septic tanks in such areas have to be connected to sewer by July 1, 2016, and no new water connections can be made in areas failing to make sewer lines available for connections.     

Under the Service Delivery Act cities and counties cannot charge residents outside their jurisdictions water and sewer fees that are arbitrarily higher than the fees charged to residents of their jurisdiction. HB 174 adds that arbitrarily-higher "rates" would also be prohibited and the definition of fees would now include "account fees or other customer fees." If the reasonableness of a rate or fee is challenged by a county or city, current law requires that a qualified engineer must prepare a rate study. HB 174 removes the requirement for this rate study.

HB 223 exempts structures on farms built primarily to store manure and dead animals from any building codes.

HB 225 establishes that it is the policy of the State to promote sustainable agriculture.

HB 274 allows yard trimmings to be disposed of in a lined landfill (MSW) if it has a permitted gas collection system in operation that reuses the gas for electrical power generation, industrial end use or other beneficial use promoting renewable energy goals.

Additionally, this bill reauthorizes the scrap tire fee (Solid Waste Trust Fund) for three more years, allowing the General Assembly to continue redirecting this money to the state's general fund to balance the budget.  

This bill encourages the use of Georgia grown products.

This bill would exempt interbasin transfers from certain parts of the Tennessee River from interbasin transfer regulations.  

This bill creates the County Government Infrastructure Financing Authority to provide a mechanism through which county governments may lease or purchase on an installment basis infrastructure and equipment at a lower cost.

This bill would allow cities other than Atlanta to impose a special water and sewer projects cost tax.

This bill allows properties to be used for the the collection and conversion of solar energy without breaking their bona fide conservation use assessment of the property.

Under this bill, whenever the Department of Natural Resources is considering closing or reducing (by 50 percent or more) the hours of operation of a state park or recreational area, they are required to provide at least 90 days notice to the city or county in which the park or recreational area is located.  The idea being that, with due notice, the local government would have ample time to decide whether it wanted to take over the control, operation and/or management responsibilities. 

This legislation requires that cities and counties either approve or reject proposed routs of electric lines by a subsidiary company of an electric membership corporation which would traverse their communities.  These companies currently have the power of eminent domain to condemn right of way and easements for electric lines.  Furthermore, the bill requires that the Georgia Public Service Commission administer binding arbitration, which will be final, on any dispute arising between a local governing authority and said subsidiary company in this regulatory process.    

This bill prohibits cities and counties from enacting any zoning ordinances that either prohibit or require a permit from any residential property owner to grow food crops, chickens, honey bees or rabbits so long as they are raised for human consumption by members of the household. No limits are set on minimum property size or the number of critters raised. 

This bill provides for the comprehensive regulation of theft of regulated metal property. Specifically, it requires all felony convictions for the theft of regulated metal property to be registered with the metal theft registry to be created by the Georgia Technology Authority. It also requires that subsequent convictions occurring within a five year period must be posted in the legal organ, at the expense of the convicted person. It further provides for the suspension of  driver's licenses and the forfeiture of motor vehicles, weapons and tools used in the commission of a metal theft crime.