10 LC 38 1024

House Bill 1251

By: Representatives Hill of the 180th and Stephens of the 164th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Code Section 36-82-61 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions regarding the "Revenue Bond Law," so as to provide for definitions; to provide that undertakings may include economic tourism development; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Code Section 36-82-61 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions regarding the "Revenue Bond Law," is amended by revising paragraph (4) and adding a new paragraph to read as follows:

"(.1) 'Economic tourism development' means the expenditure of funds for the creation or expansion of physical attractions which are available and open to the public and which improve destination appeal to visitors, support visitors' experience, and are used by visitors. Such expenditures may include capital costs. Economic tourism development may include any economic development project that the Department of Economic Development concludes may reasonably create jobs."

"(4) 'Undertaking' includes the following revenue-producing undertakings or any combination of two or more of such undertakings, whether now existing or hereafter acquired or constructed:

(A) Causeways, tunnels, viaducts, bridges, and other crossings;

(B) Highways, parkways, airports, docks, piers, wharves, terminals, and other facilities;

(C) Systems, plants, works, instrumentalities, and properties:

(i) Used or useful in connection with the obtaining of a water supply and the conservation, treatment, and disposal of water for public and private uses;

(ii) Used or useful in connection with the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage, waste, and storm water; together with all parts of any such undertaking and all appurtenances thereto, including lands, easements, rights in land, water rights, contract rights, franchises, approaches, dams, reservoirs, generating stations, sewage disposal plants, intercepting sewers, trunk connecting and other sewer and water mains, filtration works, pumping stations, and equipment;

(iii) Used or useful in connection with the collection, treatment, reuse, or disposal of solid waste; or

(iv) Used or useful in connection with buying, constructing, extending, operating, and maintaining gas or electric generating and distribution systems together with all necessary appurtenances thereof; provided, further, however, that any revenue certificates issued to buy, construct, extend, operate, and maintain electric generating and distribution systems shall, before being undertaken, be authorized by a majority of those voting at an election held for the purpose in the county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision affected, the election for such to be held in the same manner as is used in issuing bonds of such county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision and the said elections shall be called and provided for by officers in charge of the fiscal affairs of said county, municipal corporation, or political subdivision affected;

(D) Dormitories, laboratories, libraries, and other related facilities;

(E) Parks, golf links and fairways, tennis courts, swimming pools, playgrounds, athletic fields, grandstands and stadiums; buildings to be used for various types of sports, including baseball and football; buildings to be constructed and used for the housing of exhibits for fairs and educational purposes; buildings to be used for the housing of livestock, horses, cattle, swine, poultry, and agricultural exhibits for exhibition purposes; the erection and construction of buildings to be used for amusement purposes or educational purposes or a combination of the two; and such buildings to be used for fairs, expositions, or exhibitions in connection therewith;

(F) Combinations of sea wall, groin, and beach erosion protection systems;

(G) Public parking areas and public parking buildings;

(H) Purchase of lands used by the United States government as army camps for the training of soldiers during the war, when and if the same is declared surplus by the United States government or its authority, provided that a county shall only be allowed to purchase lands which were within its boundaries at the time such lands were acquired by the United States government or any division of the United States government;

(I) Parking meters on streets, thoroughfares, parkways, and any avenue of traffic, such meters to be located thereon or immediately adjacent thereto for the purpose of providing space for vehicles and authorizing the use of same for parking purposes upon the payment of a charge therefor;

(J) Purchase of existing public common carriers of passengers for hire and facilities necessary, incident, or needful thereto by the use of motor buses, trackless trolleys, electric trolleys, or any other means of transportation of passengers on the streets and highways;

(K) The purchase of land and the construction thereon of facilities for lease to industries, so as to relieve abnormal unemployment conditions; and

(L) Jails and all other structures and facilities which are necessary and convenient for the operation of jails; and

(M) Economic tourism development."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.