| 9 | 6 | | for other purposes.2 |
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| 10 | 7 | | WHEREAS, Georgia is one of only three states that does not regulate the height of structures3 |
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| 11 | 8 | | surrounding its airports, leaving a significant gap in aviation safety and infrastructure; and4 |
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| 12 | 9 | | WHEREAS, tall structures at the end of a runway or within critical approach and departure5 |
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| 13 | 10 | | zones compromise aircraft operations and public safety, forcing airports to either relocate, 6 |
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| 14 | 11 | | shorten, or otherwise modify runways, which are decisions that result in substantial financial7 |
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| 15 | 12 | | cost and, in many cases, could lead to the closure of smaller, rural airports; and 8 |
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| 16 | 13 | | WHEREAS, the state has a vested interest in balancing the rights of private landowners with9 |
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| 17 | 14 | | the necessity of maintaining safe and operational airports, ensuring that aviation10 |
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| 18 | 15 | | infrastructure can continue to support economic growth, public safety, and connectivity11 |
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| 19 | 16 | | across Georgia; and 12 |
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| 20 | 17 | | WHEREAS, a comprehensive and strategic policy approach is needed to assess and13 |
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| 21 | 18 | | implement reasonable height restrictions that protect aviation operations while also14 |
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| 22 | 19 | | respecting the rights of property owners and fostering economic development; and 15 |
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| 27 | 22 | | actions that address the challenges posed by unregulated development near airports,17 |
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| 28 | 23 | | including:18 |
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| 29 | 24 | | (1) A comprehensive analysis of height restrictions in states with established policies in19 |
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| 30 | 25 | | order to identify best practices for adoption in Georgia;20 |
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| 31 | 26 | | (2) An assessment of the economic and operational impact of unregulated development21 |
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| 32 | 27 | | near airports, including the potential financial burden on airports forced to modify22 |
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| 33 | 28 | | infrastructure;23 |
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| 34 | 29 | | (3) Consideration of the legal implications of implementing height restriction regulations,24 |
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| 35 | 30 | | ensuring that any policy recommendations respect property rights while prioritizing25 |
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| 36 | 31 | | aviation safety;26 |
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| 37 | 32 | | (4) Engagement with key stakeholders, including airport operators, aviation industry27 |
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| 38 | 33 | | experts, economic development officials, and private property owners to gain a broad28 |
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| 39 | 34 | | perspective on this issue; and29 |
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| 40 | 35 | | (5) Development of legislative proposals or regulatory recommendations that strike a30 |
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| 41 | 36 | | balance between protecting Georgia's aviation infrastructure and preserving the interests31 |
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| 42 | 37 | | of private landowners.32 |
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| 43 | 38 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:33 |
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| 44 | 39 | | (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Height34 |
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| 45 | 40 | | Restrictions Surrounding Georgia Airports Study Committee.35 |
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| 46 | 41 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of the following36 |
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| 47 | 42 | | members:37 |
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| 48 | 43 | | (A) The President of the Senate shall appoint four members of the Senate as members38 |
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| 49 | 44 | | of the committee, one of which shall be the chairperson of the Senate Transportation39 |
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| 50 | 45 | | Committee. The President of the Senate shall also designate one of such members as40 |
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| 51 | 46 | | chairperson;41 |
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| 56 | 49 | | (C) The president of the Georgia Municipal Association, or his or her designee; and 43 |
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| 57 | 50 | | (D) The president of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, or his or her44 |
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| 58 | 51 | | designee.45 |
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| 59 | 52 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,46 |
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| 60 | 53 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or47 |
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| 61 | 54 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.48 |
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| 62 | 55 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee49 |
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| 63 | 56 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or50 |
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| 64 | 57 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and51 |
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| 65 | 58 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.52 |
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| 66 | 59 | | (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.53 |
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| 67 | 60 | | (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided54 |
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| 68 | 61 | | for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.55 |
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| 69 | 62 | | (B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,56 |
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| 70 | 63 | | or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee,57 |
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| 71 | 64 | | but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their58 |
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| 72 | 65 | | duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for59 |
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| 73 | 66 | | expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.60 |
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| 74 | 67 | | (C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state61 |
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| 75 | 68 | | employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that62 |
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| 76 | 69 | | specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia63 |
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| 77 | 70 | | Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state64 |
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| 78 | 71 | | employees.65 |
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| 79 | 72 | | (D) The allowances and expenses authorized by this resolution shall not be received66 |
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| 80 | 73 | | by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are67 |
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| 81 | 74 | | authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come68 |
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| 86 | 77 | | expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and state employees shall70 |
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| 87 | 78 | | come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.71 |
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| 88 | 79 | | (6) Report.72 |
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| 89 | 80 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that73 |
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| 90 | 81 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the74 |
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| 91 | 82 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to75 |
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| 92 | 83 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.76 |
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| 93 | 84 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for77 |
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| 94 | 85 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)78 |
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| 95 | 86 | | of this paragraph.79 |
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| 96 | 87 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of80 |
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| 97 | 88 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 81 |
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| 98 | 89 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with82 |
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| 99 | 90 | | the Secretary of the Senate.83 |
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| 100 | 91 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary84 |
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| 101 | 92 | | of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.85 |
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| 102 | 93 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.86 |
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