# Georgia HB 1277: Conservation and natural resources; increase project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations

Georgia HB 1277, Conservation and natural resources; increase project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Matt Barton (Republican), Joe Campbell (Republican), Leesa Hagan (Republican) and 2 others; status signed, last action 2026-07-01 (Effective Date) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1277-2025-2026
- 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 1277
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Conservation and natural resources; increase project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-11
- Last action: 2026-07-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: Matt Barton (Republican), Joe Campbell (Republican), Leesa Hagan (Republican), Rick Jasperse (Republican), Lauren McDonald III (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Transportation, General Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (348 yes, 89 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More ways to buy surplus road property: benefit, low. Georgia’s transportation department, counties, and cities can negotiate surplus property sales valued at $150,000 or less, up from $75,000. Beginning July 1, 2027, annual threshold increases are allowed, capped at the annual Consumer Price Index inflation rate. The department can negotiate sales to…
- Electric vehicle charging taxes delayed until 2028: benefit, low. The law delays parts of Georgia’s 2023 electric vehicle charging law until January 1, 2028. The delay covers Department of Agriculture oversight and revenue and tax provisions for charging stations and electricity used as motor fuel. This provision does not state tax rates, fees, or specific operat…
- Fewer environmental reviews for transportation projects: mixed, medium. Georgia raises the environmental review cost threshold for public road and airport projects from $100 million to $200 million. Projects costing $200 million or less are exempt from these environmental requirements. Officials must still consider an environmental evaluation when serious harm to histo…
- More contracting freedom, fewer transportation studies: mixed, low. Georgia’s transportation department and planning director no longer must develop project benchmarks or require value-engineering studies above $50 million. These studies looked for ways to improve project value. The law also removes the design-build cap: 50% of the total value of construction proje…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Matt Barton (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Joe Campbell (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Leesa Hagan (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Rick Jasperse (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Lauren McDonald III (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Gooch (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-02 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 51 | 1 | 2 |
| 2026-04-02 | House | Agree to Senate Substitute | pass | 122 | 50 | 7 |
| 2026-03-27 | Senate | MOTION TO TABLE REMAINING LEGISLATION ON THE RULES CALENDAR | pass | 26 | 22 | 5 |
| 2026-02-25 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 149 | 16 | 8 |

## Actions (20)

- 2026-07-01: Effective Date
- 2026-05-11: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2026-05-11: Act 454
- 2026-04-10: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2026-04-02: Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- 2026-04-02: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2026-04-02: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- 2026-04-02: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- 2026-03-31: Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Senate Tabled (Senate)
- 2026-03-27: Senate Tabled (Senate)
- 2026-03-25: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- 2026-03-25: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: House Third Readers (House)
- 2026-02-25: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- 2026-02-20: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- 2026-02-17: House Second Readers (House)
- 2026-02-12: House First Readers (House)
- 2026-02-11: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 1277/AP* (v8): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/249050)

## 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 1277/AP* (v8) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/249050)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1277-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).