Georgia legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Georgia SB52: "Timberlands Recovery, Exemption, and Earnings Stability (TREES) Act"; enact
Status: Passed both chambers, April 2, 2026
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ad valorem taxation of property, so as to authorize certain local governing authorities to provide temporary tax relief from the taxes levied for the harvest or sale of standing timber in certain disaster areas;to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title and legislative findings and intent; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
What the bill says
To amend Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ad valorem taxation of property, so as to authorize certain local governing authorities to provide temporary tax relief from the taxes levied for the harvest or sale of standing timber in certain disaster areas; to provide for conditions and procedures; to provide for grants to such local governing authorities to offset the loss of certain revenues resulting from certain disaster damage to standing timber and such temporary tax relief; to provide for an appropriations contingency…
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED To amend Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ad valorem taxation of property, so as to authorize certain local governing authorities to provide temporary tax relief from the taxes levied for the harvest or sale of standing timber in certain disaster areas; to provide for conditions and procedures; to provide for grants to such local governing authorities to offset the loss of certain revenues resulting from certain disaster damage to standing timber and such temporary tax relief; to provide for an appropriations contingency; to provide for a grant cap; to provide for the calculation of equalized adjusted property tax digests; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title and legislative findings and intent; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Timberlands Recovery, Exemption, and Earnings Stability (TREES) Act." S. B. LC 50 0970 SECTION 2. The General Assembly finds that: (1) Hurricane Helene has had a catastrophic impact on the citizens and the economy of many areas in this state, has particularly devastated the timber …