# Georgia HB 953: City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority Act; enact Georgia HB 953, City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority Act; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jon Burns (Republican), Lehman Franklin (Republican), Butch Parrish (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-05-12 (House Date Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB953-2025-2026 - 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 953 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority Act; enact - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-05-12, House Date Signed by Governor - Sponsors: Jon Burns (Republican), Lehman Franklin (Republican), Butch Parrish (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Intragovernmental Coordination, State and Local Governmental Operations, Local Bill - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (213 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Investors get Georgia tax-free Authority bonds: benefit, low. Georgia exempts the Authority’s revenue bonds and all income from those bonds from taxation within the state. This tax break applies to holders of bonds issued under this law. Savings depend on the investor’s holdings and tax situation; the law states no dollar savings. - Statesboro gains a public project authority: benefit, low. The law creates the independent City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority to build, own, lease, and run public projects. Projects must be inside Statesboro and can include utilities, broadband, stormwater systems, public buildings, and historic preservation. The Authority can manage and sell p… - Authority gets limited relief from taxes: benefit, low. The Authority is exempt from taxes and assessments on its property, operations, charges, and income to the extent general law allows. This law does not grant a sales or use tax exemption for property bought by or for the Authority. It sets no savings amount and does not require savings to be passed… - Project users face fees and lease duties: cost, medium. The Authority can set and change project rents, fees, and charges; the law sets no specific rates. Together with other revenue, charges must cover operations, maintenance, repairs, bond payments, required reserves, and related expenses. Project leases can require rent before completion or while the… - Claims against Authority face recovery limits: cost, low. People bringing injury or negligence claims face the same immunity limits that apply to claims against Georgia counties. Officers, agents, and employees receive county-level immunity when doing Authority work. The Authority can still be sued over its contract duties like a private corporation. But… - Project bonds keep repayment with Authority: mixed, low. The Authority can issue revenue bonds to pay for projects or refinance existing bonds, including interest and early-payment premiums. Bonds require an authorizing resolution and approval through Georgia’s revenue bond validation process; the law sets no bond amount. Repayment comes only from pledge… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jon Burns (Republican), House - Sponsor: Lehman Franklin (Republican), House - Sponsor: Butch Parrish (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-17 | Senate | LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR | pass | 48 | 1 | 4 | | 2026-02-06 | House | Local Calendar | pass | 165 | 0 | 10 | ## Actions (13) - 2026-05-12: House Date Signed by Governor (House) - 2026-05-12: Act 658 - 2026-05-12: Effective Date - 2026-04-06: House Sent to Governor (House) - 2026-02-17: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2026-02-06: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2026-02-06: House Third Readers (House) - 2026-02-06: House Passed/Adopted (House) - 2026-01-15: House Second Readers (House) - 2026-01-14: House First Readers (House) - 2026-01-13: House Hopper (House) ## Bill text - HB 953/AP* (v4): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/242709) ## 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 953/AP* (v4) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/242709) ## 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-HB953-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).