Wins and Setbacks from the 2025-2026 General Assembly
The 158th Georgia General Assembly concluded earlier this month. The Georgia legislature has been meeting annually since 1777, and sometimes more often than annually when special sessions are required. Political pundits often crack jokes about the General Assembly, and many make wry comments and roll their eyes at things at the Capitol. I started working around the Capitol in governmental affairs efforts in 1988 and have been involved with the General Assembly to greater and lesser degrees every year since. While the legislature is often the butt of many jokes, in reality the General Assembly is made up of people that are genuinely interested in accomplishments and making things better. I enjoy working at the state level where government actually works. Bills are introduced, bills are considered and perfected, and bills are passed…and bad bills are rarely considered.
The 236 members of the General Assembly introduced approximately 5,480 pieces of legislation in ’25 & ’26. As of the writing of this summary, Governor Kemp has signed a total of 385 of those bills…though he has until May 12 to consider the ’26 bills passed prior to Sine Die.
Yes, it is very hard to pass legislation! Though that can be frustrating when you are working to address your important issues, it is equally important that it is supposed to be very difficult to impose new laws upon the citizens of Georgia.
While we didn’t activate Camo Coalition during 2026, your presence and your commitment are legendary. Oftentimes during policy discussions I’d simply suggest having our Camo Coalition members write or call and legislators became much more interested in addressing our concerns.
Below are the top accomplishments and disappointments of the 158th Georgia General Assembly for Georgia Wildlife Federation:
SB 478 – Amending the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act (GOSA) was the biggest priority for GWF during 2025 & 2026. We, along with our partners, worked and passed the original Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act in 2018 and Georgia’s voters approved the constitutional amendment authorizing the dedication of the funds generated to conservation and the outdoors by a whopping 83%. That ballot initiative authorized the dedication of between 40% and 80% of the state sales tax already being collected in sporting good stores to GOSA projects. This program has become one of the most impactful and important conservation initiatives in Georgia’s history. Since it’s passage, however, the funding had remained fixed at the bottom of the range. The legislation this year moved that funding to 60% AND extended the sunset of the program from 2029 to 2039. Our legislative champions were countless this time around, but Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, Senate Chairman Sam Watson and House Chairwoman Lynn Smith were all instrumental in sponsoring and carrying the legislation from introduction to across the finish line. SB 478 is awaiting Governor Kemp’s signature. ACCOMPLISHMENT
HB 561 – Titled the Okefenokee Protection Act, sponsored by Chairwoman Darlene Taylor, did not pass. However, the years of work on this issue led to the abandonment of the proposed titanium dioxide (toothpaste and paint whitener product) mine. While the immediate threat to the Okefenokee was addressed, there still remains approximately 30,000 acres unprotected on the ridge to the east of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. This ridge, called Trail Ridge, is a geologic structure that serves as a sill or dam that protects the integrity of the waters of the Okefenokee. Chairwoman Taylor intends to reintroduce the Okefenokee Protection Act next year in the 158th Georgia General Assembly, and perhaps without the efforts of corporate lobbyists in opposition to the act, we can ultimately protect this unique and cherished natural resource of Georgia. DISSAPOINTMENT (but with hope for the future)
SB 420 & HB 443 – Both bills contained identical language and both passed. These bills will impose a $10 saltwater fishing endorsement for residents and a $20 endorsement for non-Georgian saltwater anglers. The funds generated through this bill will be used to study our reef and migratory saltwater species and to allow Georgia to manage those fisheries using our data and our science. These fisheries are currently managed using consolidated data collected along the Atlantic coast. Georgia has done a much better job of protecting and managing our coastline and because of that, we believe we can much more effectively manage those fisheries for Georgian’s benefit. It is unclear which bill will be signed by Governor Kemp, but both do the same thing. ACCOMPLISHMENT
HB 983 – In the midst of a terrible fire season in Georgia, the importance of prescribed, or controlled, fire on our landscape is being driven home. HB 983 provides clarity that silviculture burns are beneficial and it assures property owners can pursue those benefits. Though not specifically the language of HB 983, fuel load reduction is a critical component of prescribed fire. Please keep the firefighters and those whose homes and livelihoods are impacted by the current wildfires in your thoughts and prayers. ACCOMPLISHMENT
HB 451 & SB 148 – Provides that school systems can voluntarily allow for the teaching of hunter safety courses in the classroom for students in grades 6 through 12. SB 148 is the bill that actually passed and was signed by Governor Kemp. ACCOMPLISHMENT
HB 167 – Allows the use of fluorescent pink as an authorized color for hunter safety. ACCOMPLISHMENT
HB 946 – In an effort to control feral hogs, HB 946 establishes it is unnecessary to have a hunting or trapping license to trap feral hogs, as long as all hogs that are trapped are euthanized. It will allow, on private property, for the hunting of hogs from motorized vehicles. It furthermore authorizes the use of drones to locate hogs. ACCOMPLISHMENT
These are some of the most important initiatives we worked on during the legislative session, but by no means is this a comprehensive list. As always, you can check out the Camo Coalition online and review all the bills we tracked, monitored, supported, opposed or in some way worked. Please check out the bill tracker section.
Thank you for being a part of Camo Coalition. Your participation is critical to the success of Georgia Wildlife Federation as we work on hunting, fishing and general conservation issues. Your voice becomes more critical every day! Over time there are fewer members of the General Assembly that are hunters or anglers, there are fewer members that are from rural areas…they need to know your passion and your commitment to protecting our natural resources and Georgia’s outdoor heritage.
Sincerely,
Mike Worley
President & CEO
Georgia Wildlife Federation
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