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