Georgia legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Georgia SB306: Bona Fide Conservation Use Property; impending expiration to be sent via certified mail; require notices
Status: Signed into law, May 6, 2026
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-5-7.4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property, so as to require notices of impending expiration to be sent via certified mail; to provide for the reinstatement of certain covenants and preferential assessments in certain limited circumstances; to provide for appeals and refunds; to prohibit additional fees or interest; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
What the bill says
To amend Code Section 48-5-7.4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property, so as to require notices of impending expiration to be sent via certified mail; to provide for the reinstatement of certain covenants and preferential assessments in certain limited circumstances; to provide for appeals and refunds; to prohibit additional fees or interest; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED To amend Code Section 48-5-7.4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property, so as to require notices of impending expiration to be sent via certified mail; to provide for the reinstatement of certain covenants and preferential assessments in certain limited circumstances; to provide for appeals and refunds; to prohibit additional fees or interest; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 48-5-7.4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property, is amended by revising subsection (d) and adding a new subsection to read as follows: "(d) No property shall qualify for current use assessment under this Code section unless and until the owner of such property agrees by covenant with the appropriate taxing authority to maintain the eligible property in bona fide qualifying use for a period of ten years beginning on the first day of January of the year in which such property qualifies for S. B. LC 50 1187 such current use assessment and ending on the last day of December of the final …