Conservation and natural resources; increase project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations
Summary
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 16 of Title 12 and Title 32 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to environmental policy and highways, bridges, and ferries, respectively, so as to increase the project cost threshold for public roads or airports requiring environmental evaluations; to provide for conforming changes; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 11, 2026
Signed May 11, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
LC 47 4068S/hcs
→
HB 1277/AP*
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was finalized and passed by both legislative chambers, updating the official title to reflect its status. The core policy content remains largely unchanged, retaining the $200 million threshold for environmental evaluations and the requirement for value engineering studies on projects over $50 million. However, the text was reorganized and renumbered, with the environmental policy section moved to Section 1 and the transportation reporting requirements moved to Section 2.
Scope change
The bill's substantive scope regarding environmental thresholds and transportation reporting requirements remains unchanged; only the structural organization of the sections was modified.
TECHNICAL
The bill's title was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed House and Senate', indicating final legislative approval.
The bill's text was renumbered and reorganized, moving the environmental evaluation threshold (previously Section 1) to Section 1 and the transportation reporting requirements (previously Section 2) to Section 2.
Redundant or transitional text related to the committee substitute version was removed during the finalization process.
Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2026 · House Feb 25, 2026
How they voted
44–1
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 47
Apr 2, 2026
D
Democratic18
83% Yea
R
Republican29
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
19
Key actions
6
Committee
3
Amendments
1
May 11, 2026
Signed into law
Act 454
upper
May 11, 2026
Signed into law
House Date Signed by Governor
lower
Apr 2, 2026
Introduced
House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub
lower
Apr 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Senate Read and Referred
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
lower
Feb 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
House Hopper
lower
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Joe Campbell
RRepublican
P
Lauren McDonald
RRepublican
P
Leesa Hagan
RRepublican
P
Matt Barton
RRepublican
P
Rick Jasperse
RRepublican
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