HB 449 Georgia House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Public utilities; subject certain companies providing water services to regulation by Public Service Commission

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public utilities and public transportation, so as to subject certain companies providing water services in this state to regulation by the Public Service Commission; to provide for the review of certain increases to the rates and charges of such companies by the commission; to provide for financial record keeping of such companies; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for assessments and legislative recommendations by the commission; to provide for definitions; to provide an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Jan 2026

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 13, 2025 Last action Jan 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

LC 55 0562S/hs → LC 55 0562S/hcs · 3 edits

MINOR

This version of HB 449 was amended by the House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs to become a committee substitute. The changes are primarily formatting and procedural updates, including adding the names of sponsoring representatives and adjusting page headers and section numbering. No substantive policy changes, funding amounts, eligibility criteria, or regulatory requirements were altered in this markup.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are limited to committee markup formatting and procedural elements.

TECHNICAL

Added names of sponsoring representatives (Rhodes, Ridley, Hitchens, Smith, Williams, and others) to the bill header.

Changed committee language from 'The House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs offers the following substitute to HB 449' to 'House Bill 449 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)'

Adjusted page numbering and header formatting for consistency with committee substitute markup standards.

Floor votes · House Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

150–0

Passed · 9 other

Total votes 159

Mar 4, 2025

D Democratic67

61 Yea 6

91% Yea

R Republican92

89 Yea 3

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Committee

Senate Recommitted

upper

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Senate Read and Referred

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Introduced

House Hopper

lower

6 primary · 0 co-sponsors