# Georgia HB 287: Environmental Protection Division; Environmental Advisory Council; update reference date to standards, rules, and regulations Georgia HB 287, Environmental Protection Division; Environmental Advisory Council; update reference date to standards, rules, and regulations, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Chas Cannon (Republican), John Corbett (Republican), John LaHood (Republican) and 2 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB287-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia HB 287 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: Environmental Protection Division; Environmental Advisory Council; update reference date to standards, rules, and regulations - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-05 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Chas Cannon (Republican), John Corbett (Republican), John LaHood (Republican), Lauren McDonald III (Republican), Trey Rhodes (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Game, Fish & Parks, Natural Resources and the Environment, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (221 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Free event licenses for disabled participants: benefit, low. Georgia's Department of Natural Resources can issue free fishing and hunting licenses to paralyzed or disabled residents and nonresidents. Participants must attend an approved Georgia event sponsored and run by a nonprofit charity or the department. Licenses cover only the event dates, up to seven… - Special turkey season excludes 16-year-olds: cost, low. The law requires the board to authorize a special turkey season for hunters under 16 or with mobility impairments. Sixteen-year-olds no longer qualify based on age alone. The special season falls on the weekend before the first weekend of the regular turkey season, as set by the board. Other wildli… - Shellfish crews get paid group licensing: mixed, low. Resident shellfish crew licenses cost master harvesters $200 annually for up to 10 harvesters or $400 for unlimited harvesters. Covered workers do not need separate personal commercial fishing licenses, shellfish endorsements, or commercial fishing boat licenses. Commercial shellfish taking still r… - Criminal enforcement uses updated 2025 rules: mixed, low. The law updates the criminal enforcement reference date from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. It applies to Board of Natural Resources environmental, game and fish, and watercraft rules. Criminal violations in these areas are based on the rules in force on January 1, 2025. This is a rule cutoff… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Chas Cannon (Republican), House - Sponsor: John Corbett (Republican), House - Sponsor: John LaHood (Republican), House - Sponsor: Lauren McDonald III (Republican), House - Sponsor: Trey Rhodes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Lee Anderson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-11 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-02-24 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 171 | 0 | 4 | ## Actions (15) - 2025-07-01: Effective Date - 2025-05-13: House Date Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-13: Act 178 - 2025-04-07: House Sent to Governor (House) - 2025-03-11: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-02-28: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-02-24: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-02-24: House Passed/Adopted (House) - 2025-02-19: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2025-02-10: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-02-06: House First Readers (House) - 2025-02-05: House Hopper (House) ## Bill text - HB 287/AP* (v3): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/235843) ## 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 287/AP* (v3) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/235843) ## 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-HB287-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).