Georgia House Bill HB1496

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/26
• Report Pass: 3/10/26
• Engrossed: 3/10/26
• Refer: 3/12/26
• Report Pass: 3/18/26
• Enrolled: 4/6/26

Caption

Acworth, City of; adopt by reference a certain map

Summary

HB1496 is a local act amending the City of Acworth’s charter to update the city’s official boundary map by reference. The bill revises the charter language governing municipal boundaries and provides that the City Clerk’s map dated January 2, 2026, will serve as the official map of the corporate limits of Acworth, with the city boundaries as of January 1, 2026 reflected on that map. It also preserves the existing rule that the city’s boundaries may be altered in the future by local law or under general state law. The measure is primarily administrative and clarifying in nature. It does not create new regulatory powers or taxes; instead, it updates the legal description of the city limits and ensures that certified copies of the official map remain admissible as evidence in court. The bill also repeals conflicting laws to the extent they are inconsistent with the updated charter language.

Impact

HB1496 affects the local charter of the City of Acworth by incorporating a new official map of municipal corporate limits into state law. In practical terms, it updates the legal record of the city’s boundaries for purposes such as governance, service delivery, annexation reference, and any legal disputes over jurisdiction. The bill impacts the city, its residents, and any parties whose property or services may be affected by the boundary description, but it does not broadly alter state law beyond this local charter amendment.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 157-0 on the Local Calendar and the Senate 47-0 on the Local Consent Calendar, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as a routine local charter update rather than a disputed policy change.

Contention

There is little visible contention around HB1496. The only substantive issue is the technical adoption of the updated Acworth boundary map and the legal effect of that map on the city’s corporate limits. Because the bill is a local charter amendment and passed unanimously, no opposing viewpoint is evident in the available record; any concerns would likely have been limited to ensuring the map accurately reflects existing boundaries and future boundary changes remain governed by law.