| 1 | 1 | | 24 LC 50 0732 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Bill 488 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Summers of the 13th, Kennedy of the 18th, Goodman of the 8th, Walker III of |
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| 4 | 4 | | the 20th, Anderson of the 24th and others |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | To amend Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Annotated, relating to property tax exemptions, so as to provide for a state-wide exemption2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | from all ad valorem taxes for aircraft used exclusively for the aerial application of fertilizers,3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, seeds, or other agricultural products; to provide for a4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | referendum; to provide for effective dates, applicability, and automatic repeal; to provide for5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | compliance with constitutional requirements; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | purposes.7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | relating to property tax exemptions, is amended in Code Section 48-5-41, relating to property11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | exempt from ad valorem taxation, by revising paragraph (10) of subsection (a) as follows:12 |
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| 20 | 20 | | "(10) Aircraft used exclusively for the aerial application of fertilizers, pesticides, |
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| 21 | 21 | | 13 |
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| 22 | 22 | | herbicides, fungicides, seeds, or any other agricultural product that would normally be14 |
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| 23 | 23 | | used in an agricultural operation and can be applied by aerial application Reserved;"15 |
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| 24 | 24 | | S. B. 488 |
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| 25 | 25 | | - 1 - 24 LC 50 0732 |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. |
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| 27 | 27 | | 16 |
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| 28 | 28 | | The Secretary of State shall call and conduct an election as provided in this section for the17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of the entire state for approval or rejection. The18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Secretary of State shall conduct such election on November 5, 2024, and shall issue the call19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | and conduct such election as provided by general law. The Secretary of State shall cause the20 |
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| 32 | 32 | | date and purpose of the election to be published once a week for two weeks immediately21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | preceding the date thereof in the official organ of each county in the state. The ballot shall22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | have written or printed thereon the words:23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | "( ) YES24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | ( ) NO 25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | 26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | Shall the Act be approved which grants a state-wide exemption from ad |
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| 40 | 40 | | valorem taxes for aircraft used exclusively for the aerial application of |
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| 41 | 41 | | fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, seeds, or other agricultural |
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| 42 | 42 | | products?" |
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| 43 | 43 | | All persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all persons desiring |
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| 44 | 44 | | 28 |
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| 45 | 45 | | to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No." If more than one-half of the votes cast on29 |
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| 46 | 46 | | such question are for approval of the Act, Section 1 of this Act shall become of full force and30 |
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| 47 | 47 | | effect on January 1, 2025. If the Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted31 |
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| 48 | 48 | | as provided in this section, Section 1 of this Act shall not become effective, and this Act shall32 |
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| 49 | 49 | | be automatically repealed on the first day of January immediately following such election33 |
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| 50 | 50 | | date. It shall be the duty of each county election superintendent to certify the result thereof34 |
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| 51 | 51 | | to the Secretary of State.35 |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3.36 |
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| 53 | 53 | | Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 of this Act, this Act shall become effective upon37 |
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| 54 | 54 | | its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval and shall be38 |
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| 55 | 55 | | applicable to all taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.39 |
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| 56 | 56 | | S. B. 488 |
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| 57 | 57 | | - 2 - 24 LC 50 0732 |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 4. |
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| 59 | 59 | | 40 |
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| 60 | 60 | | In accordance with the requirements of Article VII, Section II, Paragraph II(a)(1) of the41 |
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| 61 | 61 | | Constitution of the State of Georgia, Section 1 of this Act shall not become law unless it42 |
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| 62 | 62 | | receives the requisite two-thirds' majority vote in both the Senate and the House of43 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Representatives.44 |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 5.45 |
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| 65 | 65 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.46 |
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| 66 | 66 | | S. B. 488 |
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| 67 | 67 | | - 3 - |
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