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Committee backs constitutional amendment and enabling bill to raise farmland-preservation cap to 4,000 acres
Summary
The committee approved companion measures — House Resolution 32 (constitutional amendment) and House Bill 90 (enabling legislation) — to raise the statutory cap on farmland eligible for a preservation program from 2,000 to 4,000 acres, sponsors said; no opposition was reported in committee.
The Georgia House Ways & Means Committee approved companion measures to raise the acreage cap for farmland-preservation treatment from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres.
The sponsor said House Resolution 32 is a proposed constitutional amendment and House Bill 90 is the enabling legislation to implement the change. The sponsor told the committee the change is intended to preserve family farmland where parcels or ownership structures can exceed the current 2,000-acre cap and that the bill only increases the cap to 4,000 acres.
The sponsor thanked stakeholders including Will Bentley, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for their work on the measures and said he was not aware of opposition.
The committee approved HR 32 and HB 90 after motions and seconds; both measures passed by voice vote.
Sponsors said the substitute language for HR 32 removes additional provisions that could have been interpreted as other legislative intent and that HB 90’s only substantive change is the cap increase.
The sponsor also acknowledged work by Chairman Vance Smith's subcommittee in vetting the bill.
