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GeorgiaHB 1552025-2026 Regular SessionHouse

Local government; selection and objection to arbitrators; revise procedures

Sponsored By: Victor Anderson (Republican), Chas Cannon (Republican), Brent Cox (Republican), Joseph Gullett (Republican), John LaHood (Republican), Brad Thomas (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Governmental AffairsState and Local Governmental OperationsGeneral Bill

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 3 costs, 4 mixed.

Extra pay for annexation panel members

Each annexation arbitration panel member receives an extra $100 total for all days of service, not $100 per day. Members also receive the daily pay, expenses, and allowances authorized for Georgia General Assembly members.

Clearer zoning standards and public notices

Beginning July 1, 2025, local governments using boards to decide covered land-use cases must adopt specific standards and evaluation factors. These standards must be in the zoning ordinance, with printed copies available to the public. Covered board hearings require notice 15 to 45 days in advance, plus mailed notice to the property owner. For privately started rezonings, local governments must post a visible sign on the property 15 to 45 days before the hearing. The sign must contain the information required by local ordinance or resolution.

More court review for zoning cases

Parties can directly appeal final court judgments reviewing covered zoning decisions to the Georgia Supreme Court or Court of Appeals. Beginning July 1, 2025, zoning decisions include final legislative actions granting or denying special uses and variances. They also include conditions tied to covered rezoning or special-use decisions, and later changes to those variances or conditions. Parties can also petition for review of superior-court decisions reviewing final land-use rulings by local boards designated by ordinance. Staff decisions are excluded unless an ordinance expressly allows an appeal to a covered local board or authority.

One special-use appeal route narrows

Beginning July 1, 2025, one land-use review provision covers only the chapter's decisions made through a hearing-based board process. It no longer separately includes decisions on applications for special use of property. This removes coverage under that provision, not all possible appeal routes for special-use decisions.

Rezoning denials trigger a waiting period

Beginning July 1, 2025, local governments cannot immediately reconsider rezoning the same property after denying a zoning amendment. They must wait at least six months after the denial or the end of related court proceedings before reconsidering rezoning.

Limits on county tax-incentive property deals

The law limits county development authorities in counties where two or more cities cover at least 95% of the land. Counties with consolidated or unified governments are excluded. The authority cannot buy or accept title to real or personal property for a property-tax incentive project in a covered city. That city must lie north of the county-seat city's northernmost boundary and must adopt a resolution limiting the authority's operations there. Projects approved before January 1, 2026, remain exempt. Related amendments, refinancing, renewals, and property transfers also remain valid.

County voters decide some city annexations

Beginning July 1, 2025, some annexations need approval from a majority of county voters voting in a referendum. The city must own the entire area when annexation procedures begin, and the county must approve annexation by resolution. The added vote applies when the city claims the land is connected along a street, street right-of-way, creek, or river. It also applies to connections along a railroad or another public-service company's right-of-way.

New panel rules for annexation disputes

The administering department maintains three pools of trained arbitrators: municipal officials, county officials, and qualified academics. Within 15 business days after first receiving an annexation objection, it sends 11 randomly selected candidates: four municipal, four county, and three academic. By noon on the 20th business day after dispute notice, the city can strike two county candidates. The county can strike two municipal candidates, and each side can strike one academic. The department appoints five members: two county, two municipal, and one academic. Candidates cannot live in the objecting county or any city located wholly or partly within it. They also cannot seek work there or have worked there within the past six years. Required training covers dispute resolution, zoning, and land use. Replacements must come from the same pool and cannot be previously rejected candidates.

Written annexation decisions with tighter deadlines

Annexation panels must issue a binding decision within 60 days of appointment. The chair can no longer add up to 10 business days. The county and city can agree to pause proceedings for up to 180 days to negotiate a settlement. That pause also stops the decision clock. Panels must send written findings and recommendations to the parties and department through delivery that can be verified. Each member must sign a statement showing a vote for or against those findings and recommendations.

More hearings before multifamily zoning changes

Beginning July 1, 2025, added procedures apply to covered zoning changes allowing multifamily uses or blanket departures from single-family rules. They also cover ending all single-family zoning classifications or rezoning all single-family property for multifamily use. Adoption requires two regular meetings, 15 to 45 days apart. At least two public hearings must occur 3 to 9 months before final action. One hearing must be between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Owner-started single-family-to-multifamily rezonings and zoning ordinances or maps covering the whole jurisdiction are exempt. Notices must be posted on each affected parcel, or every 500 feet when more than 500 parcels are affected. Newspaper notice must appear 15 to 45 days before the hearing, occupy at least nine column inches, and stay outside classifieds. Notices must identify the location, current and proposed zoning, and prominently state the multifamily or blanket single-family-rule change. Proposed amendments must be filed with the local clerk or recording officer and superior court clerk, and supplied free on request.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Victor Anderson

    Republican • House

  • Chas Cannon

    Republican • House

  • Brent Cox

    Republican • House

  • Joseph Gullett

    Republican • House

  • John LaHood

    Republican • House

  • Brad Thomas

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Drew Echols

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 556 • No: 105

House vote • 4/4/2025

Agree to Senate Amend to HAm to SSub

Yes: 117 • No: 49 • Other: 2

Senate vote • 4/4/2025

AGREE TO HOUSE AMENDMENT TO SENATE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED BY AM #2

Yes: 36 • No: 17 • Other: 1

House vote • 4/2/2025

Agree to Senate Sub as Am

Yes: 130 • No: 35 • Other: 5

Senate vote • 3/31/2025

ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #1 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 50TH

Yes: 47 • No: 4 • Other: 3

Senate vote • 3/31/2025

PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 54 • No: 0 • Other: 1

House vote • 2/20/2025

PASSAGE

Yes: 172 • No: 0 • Other: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective Date

    7/1/2025

  2. House Date Signed by Governor

    5/12/2025House

  3. Act 128

    5/12/2025

  4. House Sent to Governor

    4/10/2025House

  5. Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended

    4/4/2025Senate

  6. House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub

    4/4/2025House

  7. House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended

    4/2/2025House

  8. Senate Third Read

    3/31/2025Senate

  9. Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    3/31/2025Senate

  10. Senate Read Second Time

    3/18/2025Senate

  11. Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    3/13/2025Senate

  12. Senate Read and Referred

    2/21/2025Senate

  13. House Third Readers

    2/20/2025House

  14. House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    2/20/2025House

  15. House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    2/6/2025House

  16. House Second Readers

    1/30/2025House

  17. House First Readers

    1/29/2025House

  18. House Hopper

    1/28/2025House

Bill Text

  • HB 155/AP* (v17)

    PDF

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