Earlier this month, the Georgia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die and headed back home. There was a bit of drama at the end of the day on April 4, when the Senate unexpectedly adjourned earlier than normal because they’d accomplished their required duties. Some pieces of legislation were awaiting action prior to adjournment, but the bills will still be alive when the Legislature reconvenes on the second Monday of January, 2026.
Our Camo Coalition team was truly effective on a couple of legislative issues during the last days of the session. On April 3, you were asked to contact your Senator and Representative asking for restoration of funds in the Georgia DNR budget for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) response. Most of you recall that CWD was detected in a deer in Lanier County right on the border with Berrien County. Experience across the nation over the last 60 years or so have clearly shown rapid, effective and aggressive measures are required to control the outbreak of the 100% fatal disease in the deer population. At almost the last moment, funding for Georgia’s CWD response was eliminated from the budget. YOUR effective outreach to members of the General Assembly turned the tide! The funding was restored in the final budget and the full budget is awaiting Governor Kemp’s approval.
Also at the last moment, HB 491, a bill supported by GWF that extended the legal use of specialized air rifles for the hunting of deer and that allowed bow hunting of all catfish in Georgia’s waters, received some unwelcome attention. An amendment, opposed by GWF, was proposed to HB 491 that would have extended deer season by a total of 30 days. Georgia has a very long deer season and extending it even earlier in the year would have allowed does to be taken while they were still nursing fawns; extending the season later means bucks would have been shedding antlers and making management of deer herds much more difficult. Additionally, an extension of deer season would negatively impact small game hunters across the state. Your quick action to that Camo Alert stopped this amendment in its tracks…it was never even formally put forward.
Below are some of the other bills that we didn’t do a Camo Alert because our legislators actions generally followed our priorities. You might find them interesting:
HB 167 authorizes the use of fluorescent pink as an approved hunting safety color. Multiple other states have already allowed this change and anecdotal reports indicate specific demographic groups might be more inclined to hunt with fluorescent pink as an option. This bill passed and is on Governor Kemp’s desk for approval.
HB 195 would have required probable cause for Game Wardens to board a vessel. This bill would have made safety stops and checks by Game Wardens much more difficult. This bill did not advance from the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 208 authorizes the issuance of a multitude of new commemorative license plates. Two of the new options might be of interest to folks that spend time in the outdoors; 1) a State Park plate that will provide funding for Georgia’s State Park system, and 2) a Black Bass plate that will provide funding for our Fisheries Section of GA DNR – Wildlife Resources Division. This bill passed and is on Governor Kemp’s desk for approval.
HB 432 would require resident turkey hunters to get a no-cost Turkey Stamp to pursue gobblers in our State. The bill would require a Turkey Stamp for non-residents and would cost $100. This cost is in alignment with many of our bordering states. HB 432 passed the House and was recommitted to the Senate House Natural Resources Committee at the end of the session.
HB 443 originally would have imposed a $10 Reef/Migratory Fish endorsement for anglers along Georgia’s coast, non-resident anglers would pay $20. These fees would fund research by Georgia’s Coastal Resources Division into the fish populations of some of our most sought-after coastal fish. The ultimate goal would be to develop a regulatory framework, based upon actual Georgia data, for those fisheries rather than our regulations being based upon the questionable national data we use for current management. The bill was moving forward until, out of nowhere, an amendment on “raw milk” was added in the Senate Rules Committee. This amendment provided confusion and concern and therefore the bill was recommitted to the Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee at the end of the session. Hopefully next year we can clean this excellent bill up and get it across the finish line.
HB 451 would authorize school systems across Georgia to offer Hunter Safety Education in 6th through 12th grades. The class would have to be taught by a certified Hunter Safety Instructor. More to come on this bill in 2026.
See the Full Camo Coalition Bill Tracker.
Join the Camo Coalition.
My records show the General Assembly considered roughly 2,860 bills and resolutions in this first year of the two-year legislative cycle. With the vast number of bills the legislature considers, it is critical that we speak up and speak out on legislation that is important to us. Legislators simply can’t be experts on 2,860 bills in one 40-day session. THAT is why it is so important for Camo Coalition to be informed and engaged. We must protect our natural resources and our outdoor heritage. As an old friend of mine used to say about legislative engagement, “If you’re not at the table, you are on the menu!”
Thank you all for keeping us at the table.
Mike Worley
President & CEO
Georgia Wildlife Federation
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