Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Government Agency Rename topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee unanimously backs restoring “Agriculture” to Georgia Development Authority name
Summary
The Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 435 to restore the word “Agriculture” to the Georgia Development Authority’s name, aiming to reduce public confusion about the authority’s lending role for farmers.
The Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 435, a measure to return the word "agriculture" to the Georgia Development Authority’s name.
A lawmaker who identified the measure as his bill told the committee the authority had once been called the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority and removing "agriculture" had created confusion among county commissioners and mayors who thought they could borrow money through the agency. "We just wanted to eliminate any confusion to add agriculture back into it," the sponsor said.
Committee members noted the authority is a state‑run lending institution with the commissioner of agriculture serving as board chair. After the sponsor’s presentation a motion to "do pass" was made and seconded; the committee approved the bill on a voice vote and advanced it from committee.
No amendments were offered during the committee hearing and members did not debate implementation details. The committee chair said the measure will proceed to the rules committee.
Meeting documents identified the change as largely technical and intended to make the agency’s mission clearer to local officials, rather than to change its lending authority or governance structure.
