Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB13 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		25 LC 49 2342S
2		-	Senate Bill 13
3		-	By: Senators Summers of the 13th, Tillery of the 19th, Albers of the 56th, Cowsert of the
4		-	46th, Robertson of the 29th and others
5		-	AS PASSED
	2	+	The House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications offers the following
	3	+	substitute to SB 13:
6	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	5		AN ACT
8		-	To amend Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
9		-	1
	6	+	To amend Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the1
10	7		Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, so as to authorize the authority to finance and2
11	8		perform certain duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities and3
12	9		conversion of electrical lines; to revise definitions; to provide for rules and regulations; to4
13	10		provide for limited liability; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date;5
14	11		to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
15	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
16	13		SECTION 1.8
17	14		Chapter 23 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia9
18	15		Environmental Finance Authority, is amended in Code Section 50-23-4, relating to10
19	16		definitions, by revising paragraphs (5), (6), (10.1), and (10.2) and adding a new paragraph11
20	17		to read as follows:12
21	18		"(5) 'Environmental facilities' means any projects, structures, and other real or personal13
22	19		property acquired, rehabilitated, constructed, or planned:14
23	20		(A) For the purposes of supplying, distributing, and treating water and diverting,15
24	21		channeling, or controlling water flow and head including, but not limited to, surface or16
25		-	S. B. 13
	22	+	S. B. 13 (SUB)
26	23		- 1 - 25 LC 49 2342S
27		-	ground water, canals, reservoirs, channels, basins, dams, aqueducts, standpipes,
28		-	17
	24	+	ground water, canals, reservoirs, channels, basins, dams, aqueducts, standpipes,17
29	25		penstocks, conduits, pipelines, mains, pumping stations, water distribution systems,18
30	26		compensating reservoirs, intake stations, waterworks or sources of water supply, wells,19
31	27		purification or filtration plants or other treatment plants and works, connections, water20
32	28		meters, mechanical equipment, electric generating equipment, rights of flowage or21
33	29		division and other plant structures, equipment, conveyances, real or personal property22
34	30		or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto23
35	31		necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, distribution,24
36	32		pumping, treatment, storing, or disposing of water;25
37	33		(B) For the purposes of collecting, treating, or disposing of sewage including, but not26
38	34		limited to, main, trunk, intercepting, connecting, lateral, outlet, or other sewers, outfall,27
39	35		pumping stations, treatment and disposal plants, ground water rechange basins,28
40	36		backflow prevention devices, sludge dewatering or disposal equipment and facilities,29
41	37		clarifiers, filters, phosphorus removal equipment and other plants, soil absorption30
42	38		systems, innovative systems or equipment, structures, equipment, vehicles,31
43	39		conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein, and appurtenances thereto32
44	40		necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, pumping, treatment,33
45	41		neutralization, storing, and disposing of sewage;34
46	42		(C) For the purposes of collecting, treating, recycling, composting, or disposing of35
47	43		solid waste, including, but not limited to, trucks, dumpsters, intermediate reception36
48	44		stations or facilities, transfer stations, incinerators, shredders, treatment plants, landfills,37
49	45		landfill equipment, barrels, binders, barges, alternative technologies and other plant38
50	46		structures, equipment, conveyances, improvements, real or personal property or rights39
51	47		therein, and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and devices thereto necessary or40
52		-	useful and convenient for the collection, treatment, or disposal of solid waste; or
53		-	41
	48	+	useful and convenient for the collection, treatment, or disposal of solid waste; or41
54	49		(D) For the purposes of carrying out a community land conservation project or a state42
55	50		land conservation project pursuant to Chapter 22 of Title 36;43
56		-	S. B. 13
	51	+	S. B. 13 (SUB)
57	52		- 2 - 25 LC 49 2342S
58	53		(E) For the purposes of conversion of electrical lines from aboveground lines to44
59	54		underground lines; or45
60	55		(F) For the purposes of storing, supplying, and distributing natural gas outside any46
61	56		certified area of a nonmunicipal gas company, as such term is defined in paragraph (5)47
62	57		of Code Section 46-1-1, including, but not limited to, pipelines, storage tanks and48
63	58		facilities, natural gas distribution systems, equipment, vehicles, conveyances, real or49
64	59		personal property or rights therein and appurtenances, furnishings, accessories, and50
65	60		devices thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the storage, supply, and51
66	61		distribution of natural gas.52
67	62		(6) 'Environmental services' means the provision, collectively or individually, of water53
68	63		facilities, sewerage facilities, solid waste facilities, natural gas facilities, conversion of54
69	64		electrical lines from aboveground lines to underground lines, community land55
70	65		conservation projects or state land conservation projects pursuant to Chapter 22 Title 36,56
71	66		or management services."57
72	67		"(10.1) 'Natural gas facility' means any environmental facility described in subparagraph58
73	68		(F) of paragraph (5) of this Code section.59
74	69		(10.2) 'Nongovernmental entity' means a nonprofit organization the primary purposes of60
75	70		which are the permanent protection and conservation of land and natural resources.61
76	71		(10.2)(10.3) 'Nonprofit corporation' means any corporation qualified as a not for profit62
77	72		corporation by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4)63
78	73		of the Internal Revenue Code."64
79	74		SECTION 2.65
80	75		Said chapter is further amended in subsection (b) of Code Section 50-23-5, relating to66
81	76		purpose, powers, and duties, by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (33), by deleting the67
82	77		period and substituting in lieu thereof "; and" at the end of subparagraph (J) of paragraph68
83	78		(34), and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:69
84		-	S. B. 13
	79	+	S. B. 13 (SUB)
85	80		- 3 - 25 LC 49 2342S
86	81		"(35) To promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this70
87	82		chapter."71
88	83		SECTION 3.72
89	84		Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 50-23-12, relating to personal liability of73
90	85		members, officers, and employees of the authority, by revising paragraph (2) as follows:74
91	86		"(2) The construction, ownership, maintenance, or operation of any solid waste system,75
92	87		sewerage system, natural gas system, environmental facility, or water system owned by76
93	88		a local government; or"77
94	89		SECTION 4.78
95	90		This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law79
96	91		without such approval.80
97	92		SECTION 5.81
98	93		All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.82
99		-	S. B. 13
	94	+	S. B. 13 (SUB)
100	95		- 4 -