General Assembly; digitization and electronic publication of Georgia Laws; provide
Summary
HB 484 updates Georgia law governing the publication of the Georgia Laws, which are the official compiled Acts and resolutions of the General Assembly. The bill directs the Office of Legislative Counsel to continue compiling, indexing, editing, and publishing these materials, but expressly allows publication either electronically or in hardbound volumes, so long as the format is suitable for permanent retention. It also clarifies that special-session laws may be published and distributed together with the next regular session rather than separately.
The bill further expands the duties of the Georgia Code Revision Commission to assist with and oversee digitization and electronic publication of the Georgia Laws. Its stated goal is to create a permanent digital repository of Georgia session laws and provide single-point public access to local and general Acts and General Assembly resolutions. In practical terms, the measure modernizes the state’s official law-publication process and supports long-term digital access to legislative records.
Impact
HB 484 amends Title 28 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, specifically Code Sections 28-4-3 and 28-9-3. It changes the publication framework for Georgia Laws by authorizing electronic publication as an alternative to hardbound volumes and by assigning the Code Revision Commission oversight responsibilities for digitization and digital archiving. The bill affects the Office of Legislative Counsel, the Georgia Code Revision Commission, and the Secretary of State’s distribution role, while also improving public access to official session laws and resolutions.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously, 173-0, and the Senate by a wide margin, 52-2. The voting record suggests general agreement that digitizing and electronically publishing the Georgia Laws is a practical modernization of state publishing and archival practices.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record, and no committee transcript excerpts were provided. The only apparent points that could have drawn discussion are the shift from traditional print-only publication toward electronic publication, the creation of a permanent digital repository, and the allocation of oversight authority to the Code Revision Commission. However, the overwhelmingly favorable votes indicate that any concerns were limited and did not prevent passage.