This legislation, another attempt at limiting home rule, prohibits counties and cities from adopting zoning ordinances which prohibit residential property owners from raising any crops, milk goats, chickens or rabbits so long as these are for personal consumption -- despite its impact on neighboring property values. A similar bill passed through the House Agriculture Committee last year.

HB 15 would prohibit ACCG and any county employee from speaking to any committee of the General Assembly.

This bill restores county and city ability to regulate the use of bicycles on sidewalks. State law was amended two years ago to prohibit the riding of bicycles on sidewalks by anyone over the age of 12.

Under this legislation, private nonprofit organizations/clubs do not need a license, permit or other authorization from the state or local government to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink at their "single" functions. Single functions last no longer than 24 hours and cannot occur more than once a month at the same location.

For a summary of some of the major provisions of the Illegal Immigration and Reform Enforcement Act of 2011, click here.   

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.     

Current law requires that 35% of the registered voters file a petition with the election superintendent to call a referendum to let the voters decide whether the manufacture, sale and distribution of liquor would be allowed in the county. HB 96 would allow a referendum upon the signature of 5% of the registered voters of a county. The bill also specifies that the referendum could only be held in connection with a general primary.

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 re-writes Georgia's law on ownership of dangerous and vicious dogs. If a dog bites, attacks or attempts to bite or attack a person or domestic animal, then the owner of the dog or the person providing care to the dog will be liable for any damages, including consequential damages.  

HB 146 does not allow anyone in a residentially zoned area to train dogs to attack humans (or house dogs that have been trained to attack humans) unless such a use is specifically allowed in the county's zoning regulations.

HB 146 does not allow a person convicted of a serious felony, felony dogfighting or animal cruelty, felony trafficking of illegal drugs to own or reside with a dog that has not been spayed or neutered or a dog that has been classified as dangerous or vicious until ten years after the felon has completed his or her sentence.

HB 146 allows any judge to order the euthanasia of a dog if the court finds, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, that the dog has killed or seriously injured a person or presents a danger to people.

HB 146 also rewrites the Dangerous Dog Control Law as the Responsible Dog Ownership Law.

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.     

HB 164 prevents counties from prohibiting the use of coin operated amusement machines or limiting the number of coin operated amusement machines to less than nine per business. Counties may provide limited regulation of these machines, including requiring business owners to inform all employees of the state prohibitions against disbursing certain types of prizes. Counties may provide that an alcoholic beverage license may be suspended or revoked for failure of a business owner to comply with the state law regarding the use of coin operated amusement machines. Counties may also regulate the distance required between the coin operated amusement machines and other structures, so long as the distance requirements are no more stringent than those provided for the sale of alcoholic beverages. Businesses may be required by the county to keep the coin operated amusement machines in plain view.

Current law forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages within 100 yards of any housing authority property. HB 165 allows the county and housing authority to agree to allow the sale of alcohol within this 100 yard zone using one of two methods. Using the first method, the person seeking an alcoholic beverage permit within this area could submit an application to the county, which would be forwarded to the housing authority board to review. Within 30 days of receiving the application, the housing authority board has the opportunity to provide the county with a recommendation to grant or deny the application. After the 30 day period or after receiving a recommendation, the county may grant the application.The second method would allow the applicant to get a written recommendation for approval from the housing authority to submit with their application to the county.

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 224 would require off-road vehicles to be registered and licensed by the State.  Vehicles owned by local government or used exclusively for agricultural or construction are exempted from this requirement.

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 expands the special interest groups that receive a variance from weight limit laws to include the transport of organic poultry waste and tree bark. It provides special treatment to chicken waste by doubling the current variance allowed for other industries to 10% or 8,000 extra pounds (4 tons).  Almost every year the General Assembly passes a new exemption to weight limits, which in turn increases the wear and tear on local roads and the costs of maintaining them for local taxpayers. Please let your legislator know you oppose this bill.

This bill creates a new class of personal transportation vehicles that go no faster than 20 mph. The vehicles are required to meet minimum equipment standards and obey certain traffic laws as defined in the bill. Counties may adopt additional traffic regulations and require drivers to register with the county as long as doing so does not conflict with any state law. Vehicles currently registered with a county are grandfathered in and do not have to meet the minimum standards.

This bill prohibits counties from requiring bidders, offerors, contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers on county construction projects over $100,000 to enter into pre-hire agreements, labor agreements, collective bargaining agreements, etc. Also, counties cannot give preference to companies who have agreements with labor organizations.

This bill would not allow contracts requiring motor carrier transportation providers to indemnify someone from any loss or damage resulting from an intentional act or omission.

This bill encourages the use of Georgia grown products.

This bill prohibits the state, counties and cities from purchasing life insurance policies payable to the government on current or retired employees.