# Georgia SB 78: "City of Tybee Island Buildings and Public Facilities Authority Act"; enact Georgia SB 78, "City of Tybee Island Buildings and Public Facilities Authority Act"; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Clint Dixon (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Derek Mallow (Democrat) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2025-05-01 (Senate Date Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB78-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia SB 78 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: "City of Tybee Island Buildings and Public Facilities Authority Act"; enact - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-05-01, Senate Date Signed by Governor - Sponsors: Clint Dixon (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Derek Mallow (Democrat), Ben Watson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Intragovernmental Coordination, State and Local Governmental Operations, Local Bill - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (221 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Georgia tax breaks for Tybee bondholders: benefit, low. The authority can issue revenue bonds to finance facilities or refinance existing bonds, backed by pledged authority rents and revenues. The bonds and income from them are exempt from Georgia taxes; this law does not establish a federal exemption. Bond proceeds, rents, fees, earnings, grants, and g… - City Council appoints Tybee authority leaders: benefit, low. Tybee Island’s City Council appoints five authority members, with no more than two also serving on the Council. Non-council members generally serve three years; initial terms are one, two, and, where applicable, three years. Council members serve for the length of their Council terms, and members c… - Tybee bonds carry no government guarantee: benefit, low. Authority bonds must state that Georgia and Tybee Island do not guarantee repayment. Issuing bonds does not require either government to levy or pledge taxes to pay them. Bondholders cannot force repayment from state or city property, and bonds create no claim against that property. Separately, gen… - Limits on claims against Tybee’s authority: cost, low. The authority has the same legal immunity from injury and negligence claims as Tybee Island. Its officers, agents, and employees receive the same protection as city workers when doing authority work. Creditors generally cannot seize and sell authority property through legal proceedings, except as a… - Tybee gains public facility building powers: mixed, low. The law creates an authority to build, buy, improve, operate, lease, sell, or mortgage facilities serving Tybee Island. Projects must stay within the city’s current or future limits; the authority can accept grants, gifts, and loans. It can charge rents and fees covering upkeep, insurance, debt pay… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Clint Dixon (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Billy Hickman (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Derek Mallow (Democrat), Senate - Sponsor: Ben Watson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jesse Petrea (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-04 | House | Local Calendar | pass | 172 | 0 | 6 | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR | pass | 49 | 0 | 5 | ## Actions (13) - 2025-05-01: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Act 53 - 2025-05-01: Effective Date - 2025-04-07: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate) - 2025-03-04: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2025-03-04: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-03-04: House Passed/Adopted (House) - 2025-02-13: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-02-12: House First Readers (House) - 2025-02-11: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Senate Hopper (Senate) ## Bill text - SB 78/AP* (v5): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/235299) ## 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 - [SB 78/AP* (v5) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/235299) ## 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-SB78-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).