Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB310 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 52 0807
2	2	Senate Bill 310
3	3	By: Senators Mangham of the 55th, Orrock of the 36th, Mallow of the 2nd, Kemp of the
4	4	38th, Harbison of the 15th and others
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	To amend Chapter 8 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
8	8	1
9	9	Department of Community Affairs, so as to establish the Creating Hope and a New Georgia2
10	10	for Everyone or CHANGE Task Force for the purpose of examining the complex issues3
11	11	facing urban, suburban, and rural communities in this state and finding solutions focused on4
12	12	labor and community development; to provide for definitions; to provide for such task force's5
13	13	membership, duties, and powers; to provide for a grant program, subject to appropriation; to6
14	14	provide for reporting; to provide for automatic repeal; to provide for related matters; to7
15	15	provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8
16	16	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9
17	17	SECTION 1.10
18	18	Chapter 8 of Title 50 the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of11
19	19	Community Affairs, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:12
20	20	S. B. 310
21	21	- 1 - 25 LC 52 0807
22	22	"ARTICLE 1413
23	23	50-8-400.14
24	24	As used in this article, the term:15
25	25	(1) 'CHANGE Task Force' or 'task force' means the Creating Hope and a New Georgia16
26	26	for Everyone Task Force as provided for in this article.17
27	27	(2) 'Commissioner' means the commissioner of community affairs.18
28	28	(3) 'Department' means the Department of Community Affairs.19
29	29	50-8-401.20
30	30	There is established the Creating Hope and a New Georgia for Everyone or CHANGE Task21
31	31	Force for the purpose of examining complex issues facing urban, suburban, and rural22
32	32	communities in this state; bringing together civic, community, business, and government23
33	33	leaders to discuss solutions focused on labor and community development; recommending24
34	34	such solutions to civic, community, business, and government leaders; and, to the extent25
35	35	possible, facilitating the implementation of such solutions.26
36	36	50-8-402.27
37	37	(a) The CHANGE Task Force shall consist of 13 members as follows:28
38	38	(1) Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be a civic or29
39	39	community leader of the City of Atlanta or of the County of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb,30
40	40	Gwinnett, or Clayton; one of whom shall be an employer of more than 250 employees in31
41	41	this state; one of whom shall be a representative of a public technical school, vocational32
42	42	school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education in this state;33
43	43	and one of whom shall be a representative of a private technical school, vocational34
44	44	school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education in this state;35
45	45	S. B. 310
46	46	- 2 - 25 LC 52 0807
47	47	(2) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of36
48	48	whom shall be a civic or community leader outside of metro Atlanta; one of whom shall37
49	49	be an employer of 250 employees or fewer in this state; and two of whom shall be38
50	50	members of the House of Representatives;39
51	51	(3) Four members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be a civic40
52	52	or community leader outside of metro Atlanta; one of whom shall be an employer of ten41
53	53	employees or fewer in this state; and two of whom shall be members of the Senate; and42
54	54	(4) The commissioner of community affairs or his or her designee.43
55	55	(b) Each member of the task force shall be appointed to serve for a term of two years or44
56	56	until his or her successor is duly appointed, except the members of the General Assembly,45
57	57	who shall serve until the completion of their current terms of office. A member may be46
58	58	appointed to succeed himself or herself on the task force. If a member of the task force is47
59	59	an elected or appointed official, the member or his or her designee shall be removed from48
60	60	the task force if the member no longer serves as such elected or appointed official. 49
61	61	Vacancies in the task force shall be filled by appointment in the manner of the original50
62	62	appointment.51
63	63	(c) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the task force. The chairperson shall52
64	64	call all meetings of the task force and preside over such meetings. The task force may elect53
65	65	other officers as it deems necessary.54
66	66	(d) The task force shall be attached to the department for administrative purposes only. 55
67	67	The department shall provide staff support for the task force and shall use any funds56
68	68	specifically appropriated to it to support the work of the task force.57
69	69	50-8-403.58
70	70	(a) The CHANGE Task Force may conduct meetings at such places and times as it deems59
71	71	necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform60
72	72	S. B. 310
73	73	- 3 - 25 LC 52 0807
74	74	its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this article. The task force shall61
75	75	meet at least quarterly and at the call of the chairperson.62
76	76	(b) A quorum for transacting business shall be a majority of the members of the task force.63
77	77	(c) Any legislative members of the task force shall receive the allowances provided for in64
78	78	Code Section 28-1-8. Citizen members shall receive a daily expense allowance in the65
79	79	amount specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21, as well as the mileage or66
80	80	transportation allowance authorized for state employees. Members of the task force who67
81	81	are state officials or state employees, excluding legislative members, shall receive no68
82	82	compensation for their services on the task force, but they shall be reimbursed for expenses69
83	83	incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the task force in the70
84	84	same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or71
85	85	state employees. The funds necessary for the reimbursement of the expenses of state72
86	86	officials and state employees shall come from funds appropriated or otherwise available73
87	87	to their respective departments. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of74
88	88	this article shall come from funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of75
89	89	Representatives.76
90	90	50-8-404.77
91	91	(a) The CHANGE Task Force shall:78
92	92	(1) Identify the most important issues facing communities in this state through79
93	93	stakeholder input and public hearings, research, data collection, evaluation, and analysis;80
94	94	(2) Annually prioritize a singular issue that the task force will examine;81
95	95	(3) Define the root cause or causes of such prioritized issue;82
96	96	(4) Brainstorm solutions to the prioritized issue focusing on labor and community83
97	97	development; and84
98	98	S. B. 310
99	99	- 4 - 25 LC 52 0807
100	100	(5) Recommend solutions, including but not limited to the introduction of or changes to85
101	101	legislation, programs, plans, policies, or strategies, to the public and to civic, community,86
102	102	business, and government leaders, as applicable.87
103	103	(b) The CHANGE Task Force shall have the power to:88
104	104	(1) Conduct surveys or studies, hold public meetings, collect data, or take any other89
105	105	action the task force deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities;90
106	106	(2) Request and receive data from state agencies to the greatest extent allowed by state91
107	107	and federal law;92
108	108	(3) Accept any public or private grants, devises, and bequests;93
109	109	(4) Authorize entering into contracts or agreements through the task force's chairperson94
110	110	necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties; and95
111	111	(5) Establish rules and procedures for conducting the business of the task force.96
112	112	(c) Subject to appropriations, the task force shall establish a grant program for the97
113	113	provision of funds to applicants for the purpose of labor and community development to98
114	114	address a prioritized issue facing a community in this state. To the extent possible, grants99
115	115	shall be awarded in a variety of geographic areas of the state.100
116	116	(d) The task force shall be authorized to retain the services of attorneys, consultants,101
117	117	subject matter experts, economists, budget analysts, data analysts, statisticians, and other102
118	118	individuals or organizations as determined appropriate by the task force.103
119	119	(e) Beginning July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the task force shall submit a detailed104
120	120	report to the Governor and notify members of the General Assembly of the availability of105
121	121	such report in the manner which it deems to be most effective and efficient. The annual106
122	122	report shall contain the task force's findings and recommendations regarding issues facing107
123	123	communities in this state and shall evaluate the impact of task force activities. Prior to108
124	124	dissolution, the task force shall send a final report to the General Assembly summarizing109
125	125	its activities and making its final recommendations. The annual reports and final report110
126	126	S. B. 310
127	127	- 5 - 25 LC 52 0807
128	128	shall be published on the department's internet website and shall be made publicly111
129	129	available.112
130	130	50-8-405.113
131	131	This article shall be automatically repealed on June 30, 2031, unless continued in effect by114
132	132	the General Assembly prior to that date."115
133	133	SECTION 2.116
134	134	This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law117
135	135	without such approval.118
136	136	SECTION 3.119
137	137	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.120
138	138	S. B. 310
139	139	- 6 -