Welcome to the second year of the 158th Georgia General Assembly. Georgia’s legislature has met annually since 1777 (I know, those numbers don’t add up – in the early years, an Assembly was 1 year, and in later years, it has become biennial).
Camo Coalition remains a critical voice for hunters, anglers, and all that cherish our natural resources and our outdoor heritage. Because of your engagement, legislators listen to Camo Coalition. YOU, as a Camo Coalition member, are the reason our counsel and our issues have an outsized impact in the halls of the Capitol.
As a reminder, all of the approximately 2,815 bills and resolutions that were introduced last year that neither passed or were defeated are still active. So the second year of the biennial session starts with real legislative work to do. Bills already assigned to committees and committee work can start on the first day of the session. The bills we were interested in during 2025 are still eligible for action and you can still see them on the Camo Coalition site (and some of them are highlighted below).
Much of the conversation, and some of the legislation we see introduced this year at the Capitol, will be there because so many members are seeking higher public office. Sometimes that situation provides for the appearance of chaos, and sometimes it provides opportunities for good ideas to garner traction. It always provides for an interesting session.
As usual, we expect legislation this year of interest to hunters and anglers. Many legislative initiatives have the potential to impact conservation and our natural resource heritage in significant ways. Let’s take a look at some of those expected topics:
HB 451 – Sponsored by Rep. Chas Cannon (R/172/Moultrie), one of the co-chairs of the Georgia Sportsman’s Caucus in the House, introduced this bill last year that will allow the teaching of hunter education in Georgia’s schools. It was on the verge of passage in ’25 when the legislature abruptly adjourned on the final day. We expect quick action on this legislation and hope to report passage early in the session.
HB 443 – Sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R/166/Savannah) would provide an endorsement for coastal anglers for certain reef fish that would allow Georgia to raise funds for studying those reef fish populations and allow Georgia to assume responsibility for managing those reef fish populations with Georgia specific data rather than data gathered regionally or nationally by the federal government. Supported by Georgia Wildlife Federation and Georgia DNR, this bill failed to pass because a completely unrelated amendment on “raw milk” was literally added at the last minute. We hope to see the raw milk amendment removed and expect passage when that occurs.
HB 561 (Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge) – Sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R/173/Thomasville). Chairwoman Taylor has been a steadfast proponent for the protection of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Her HB 561, known as the Okefenokee Protection Act, would permanently protect the geologic structure called Trail Ridge from mining. Trail Ridge serves as the dam that keeps the water intact in the Okefenokee. We hope that the changed circumstances, with the Conservation Fund securing the former Twin Pines Minerals property, will allow us to advance this legislation without the pressure/complication of an existing mining application.
HB 562 – Sponsored by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R/173/Thomasville). Is exactly the same legislation as HB 561, except it prohibits mining applications for a period of 5 years. Prior to the purchase of the Twin Pines Minerals property, this seemed an appropriate compromise. Now, we prefer the permanent protection offered by HB 561.
HB 644 – Sponsored by Rep. Rick Townsend (R/179/Brunswick). This bill would allow the GaEPD Director to consider and potentially deny a permit by an applicant that has a history of environmental fines, permit violations or other regulatory history that is pertinent to their permit application. This blind spot in our permitting process became apparent in the Okefenokee mining permit application. This bill allows EPD to more appropriately research and identify potential problems before issuing permits…and even allows for the denial of a permit if the history is egregious enough.
HB 919 – Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act (GOSA) – Sponsored by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R/166/Savannah) would remove a “trigger” mechanism in the original GOSA authorizing legislation that reduces the allocation of funding to GOSA in the event of reduced revenue to Georgia’s general funds. Because of the artificially inflated revenue that came to Georgia from the federal Inflation Reduction Act under the previous administration, we actually showed a decrease in overall revenue to Georgia last year. Thus, in a time of record actual revenue surpluses, GOSA funding was cut. HB 919 would correct that situation. Additionally, Rep. Petrea has agreed to amend the original bill to increase the percentage of state sales tax that is going to GOSA. We support both of these changes to this extremely popular program. There is also a good chance we will see similar legislation in the Senate.
Keeping Georgia Wild Day at the Capitol (formerly Sportsman’s Day at the Capitol) will occur on Thursday, January 15. Anyone wishing to display at this early morning event should contact Scott Tanner (reach out to us at GWF and we can provide contact information). Even if you don’t want to display and are near the Capitol around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m., please come by and see the activities and speak to legislators that drop in. The displays will be on the second floor of the Georgia State Capitol.
Not specifically legislation nor tied to the legislative session, we also expect to see several Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board actions in the coming months. Expect to see activity on the commercial shellfish industry and regulatory action on the harvest of red drum in Georgia’s coastal waters. We also likely will see Board action on a proposed Red Snapper EFP (Exempted Fishing Permit) asking the feds to approve a 2-month recreational red snapper fishing season. More to come on these very important issues and whether Camo Coalition needs to engage.
Thank you again for your participation in Camo Coalition. Together we are able to speak loudly within the Capitol. In a time when many Georgians and elected leaders have little connection to the outdoors, Camo Coalition reminds them that many of us care, engage and vote. We look forward to working with you throughout the session.
Sincerely,
Mike Worley
President & CEO
Georgia Wildlife Federation
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