# Georgia HB 115: Natural Resources, Department of; certain notice upon registration of a vessel; provide Georgia HB 115, Natural Resources, Department of; certain notice upon registration of a vessel; provide, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Buddy DeLoach (Republican), Lehman Franklin (Republican), Bill Hitchens (Republican) and 3 others; status signed, last action 2026-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB115-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia HB 115 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: Natural Resources, Department of; certain notice upon registration of a vessel; provide - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-17 - Last action: 2026-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Buddy DeLoach (Republican), Lehman Franklin (Republican), Bill Hitchens (Republican), Jesse Petrea (Republican), Ron Stephens (Republican), Rick Townsend (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Game, Fish & Parks, Natural Resources and the Environment, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (215 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Prompt Stolen Boat Checks and Owner Notices: benefit, low. Officers must search stolen-boat records within 24 hours after a safety check or finding an authorized check card. The same deadline applies after an officer removes a boat under the public-safety rule. Private-property removers must notify local police within one day after requesting owner informa… - Boat Owners Face Fines and Jail: mixed, high. Within seven calendar days of learning that a boat remains in place and is not stolen, the natural resources department must notify its owner. Owners have 30 days after receiving notice to remove it; notices warn about costs, damages, credential restrictions, and prosecution. For owners who registe… - Abandoned Boats Can Cost Owners Registrations: mixed, medium. After required notices, Georgia officials may revoke, suspend, deny, or refuse to renew an owner’s boat registration or commercial fishing boat license. The revenue commissioner may also restrict the owner’s motor vehicle registrations. Abandonment restrictions may last until the owner restores and… - Boat Owners Get Notices Before Sale: mixed, medium. For removed boats that are not stolen, known owners must receive notice within seven calendar days after removal. This rule excludes boats being repaired by repair facilities or stored by insurers covering boat damage. Notice uses certified or registered mail or statutory overnight delivery; unknow… - Boat Removers Must Find Unknown Owners: mixed, low. When a removed boat’s owner is unknown, the remover or storage operator must request owner information within 72 hours. This applies to public-water removals requested by police and private-property removals requested by property owners. They must also search another state’s records when facts sugg… - Safety Checks and Removal for Unattended Boats: mixed, low. Georgia’s abandoned-boat rules cover state waters, nearby coastal seas, and high seas traveled to or from Georgia’s shore. Private ponds and lakes closed to the public are excluded. Officers or authorized natural resources workers must immediately check unattended boats for people in distress and s… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Buddy DeLoach (Republican), House - Sponsor: Lehman Franklin (Republican), House - Sponsor: Bill Hitchens (Republican), House - Sponsor: Jesse Petrea (Republican), House - Sponsor: Ron Stephens (Republican), House - Sponsor: Rick Townsend (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ben Watson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 51 | 0 | 2 | | 2025-02-26 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 164 | 0 | 9 | ## Actions (19) - 2026-07-01: Effective Date - 2026-05-11: House Date Signed by Governor (House) - 2026-05-11: Act 434 - 2026-04-06: House Sent to Governor (House) - 2026-03-10: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2026-01-12: Senate Taken from Table (Senate) - 2026-01-12: Senate Recommitted (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Senate Tabled (Senate) - 2025-03-21: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-02-26: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-02-26: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House) - 2025-02-19: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2025-01-28: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-01-27: House First Readers (House) - 2025-01-17: House Hopper (House) ## Bill text - HB 115/AP* (v6): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/245689) ## Related bills - SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed) - SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed) - SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed) - SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed) - HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed) - HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed) ## Sources - [HB 115/AP* (v6) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/245689) ## Related - [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026) - [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026) - [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026) - [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026) - [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026) - [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026) - [Georgia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia/bills) - [Georgia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB115-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).