# Georgia HB 763: Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority Act; enact

Georgia HB 763, Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority Act; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Lehman Franklin (Republican), Jesse Petrea (Republican), Ron Stephens (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-01 (House Date Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB763-2025-2026
- 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 763
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority Act; enact
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-03-11
- Last action: 2025-05-01, House Date Signed by Governor
- Sponsors: Lehman Franklin (Republican), Jesse Petrea (Republican), Ron Stephens (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Intragovernmental Coordination, State and Local Governmental Operations, Local Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (223 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 7

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Airport bondholders gain court enforcement rights: benefit, low. Bondholders and trustees can go to court to enforce bond rights and required authority duties, including collecting airport fees. A resolution adopted before bond issuance or a bond trust agreement can limit those enforcement rights. While bonds remain outstanding, changes to the authority cannot i…
- Georgia tax exemption for airport bond investors: benefit, low. Revenue bonds issued under this law are exempt from all taxation within Georgia. Transfers of those bonds and income from them are also exempt. Investors’ savings depend on their holdings and tax situation; the law states no dollar amount.
- Airport users get operating insurance protections: benefit, low. Before opening an airport or landing field, the authority must set operating rules and obtain sufficient aviation liability insurance. It must keep that insurance throughout operations. Operations must also follow applicable federal and state transportation grant requirements. The law sets no insur…
- Airport borrowing shields local taxpayers from repayment: benefit, low. The authority can issue project revenue bonds lasting up to 30 years, repaid only from a designated special fund. These bonds are not city or county debt, and neither government must levy taxes or budget money to repay them. The authority can pledge fees, revenues, and surplus-property sale proceed…
- Airport projects can take private property: mixed, medium. The authority can ask Bryan County or Richmond Hill to use eminent domain to acquire private property or property rights. The property must be necessary or convenient for the law’s airport purposes. The taking must follow existing condemnation laws. The authority must pay the condemning government…
- Airport fees come with fair-access rules: mixed, low. The authority can set, change, and collect charges for airport services, facilities, goods, leases, and concessions. Airport users and tenants can face these costs, but the law sets no prices. Fees and rents must make each airport as self-supporting as practical. Public use must remain reasonable a…
- New local authority manages airport development: mixed, low. The law creates the Richmond Hill–Bryan County Airport Authority to build, own, run, improve, lease, and sell public-use airports. It can hire staff, make contracts, and accept grants and loans; acting outside Bryan County requires both local governments’ approval. Its 11-member board has seven cit…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Lehman Franklin (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Jesse Petrea (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Ron Stephens (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-28 | Senate | LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR | pass | 53 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-03-25 | House | Local Calendar | pass | 170 | 0 | 6 |

## Actions (13)

- 2025-05-01: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-01: Act 61
- 2025-05-01: Effective Date
- 2025-04-09: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2025-03-28: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-27: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-03-25: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-03-25: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-03-18: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-03-13: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-03-11: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 763/AP* (v4): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/238035)

## 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 763/AP* (v4) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/238035)

## 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-HB763-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).