News & Press https://www.samsog.org/news/default.asp Mon, 20 Jul 2026 02:29:55 GMT Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:01:00 GMT Copyright © 2026 Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia Georgia Political Report 6/24/2026 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727765 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727765
GEORGIA POLITICAL REPORT
June 24, 2026  
 
Now that the runoff elections and the Special Session are firmly in the rearview mirror, attention in Georgia government and politics will turn to the general election, upcoming study committee meetings, and possible departures and transitions among state employees that typically accelerate during the final year of a governor’s term.

Georgia Special Session
Following a hectic five legislative days of the General Assembly’s Special Session, the legislature adjourned sine die yesterday after passing a bill addressing Georgia’s uniform voting system, implementing a limited hand recount process in top-of-the-ticket statewide election, and delaying the deadline to remove QR codes from ballots from July 1, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2028. They also passed legislation ratifying the Governor’s suspension of the state’s motor fuel tax. Redistricting for the 2028 elections and local legislation allowing for Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST) ballot questions in November were also included in the Governor’s call for a special session, but no legislation was passed on either of those issues.
 
On redistricting, leadership in both the House and the Senate announced on the first day of the special session that they were not going to take up the issue, citing pending litigation over existing Georgia districts and their desire to take additional time to fully understand the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. 
 
On the LHOST legislation, the General Assembly is constitutionally required to pass this legislation with a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers, and neither chamber was able to reach that threshold. While Republicans argued that these local bills would have built on their work to provide meaningful property tax relief to Georgians, Democrats argued that the enactment of LHOSTs would raise taxes on lower income Georgians that do not own homes. In total, 94 LHOST bills were introduced and failed to pass.
 
We expect both redistricting and property tax relief to continue dominating political conversations in the state and for both to be major talking points in the run-up to the November General Election. 

Georgia Runoff Election Results Analysis
Below is an analysis of Georgia’s primary runoff elections and a lookahead to the General Election from IPA Partner Brad Alexander. 
 
With the general primary over, this year’s election process now moves on to the main attraction: party control of Georgia’s government. Before examining that question, however, it’s worth looking at what exactly happened last week. And, what happened last week is a good reminder about the volatility of voter behavior today - it simply did not align with the expectations created by many past elections. 
 
First, the top line results are surprising purely in terms of the combination of winners, which basically no one would have predicted. Most pundits expected the outcome to either be Jackson/Dooley/Dolezal (suburban) or Jones/Collins/Kennedy (rural). This was basically an idea that’s been pretty consistent in Georgia primaries over the years, specifically that if turnout was higher in suburban areas, the candidates from those areas would win (or vice versa). Instead, what happened is that voters largely ignored geography, choosing Jackson (53/47), Collins (55/45) and Dolezal (54/46). Additionally, that results also showed some of the limits of endorsements by Governors and Presidents, which reflects not so much on primary voter approval of President Trump or Governor Kemp, but rather on what may be an emerging reality that endorsements simply matter less to primary voters than they might have previously.
 
Secondly, Rick Jackson surprised most pundits by losing the election day vote but winning the Republican nomination anyway. By the numbers, he won 61% of the absentee by mail vote, 59% of the early vote, and 48% of the election day vote. Probably due in part to the peak of summer timing of the election, 43% of voters cast their ballots before election day, so this broad disparity put Jackson over the top. More than anything else about the Republican primary, these numbers are going to cause many Republican strategists to significantly reevaluate when and how they decide to deploy resources in primaries, likely sapping some focus away from the traditional approach of cresting on election day itself. It is also likely there is an interesting story here about what the Jackson team did to “bank” early votes so effectively.
 
The final interesting thing about last week’s elections is that the three main races on the Republican side featured very different types of geographic variation than we have grown accustomed to. In the U.S. Senate primary, Collins won using a geographic formula that looks very familiar. Specifically, he lost to Dooley in the metro Atlanta media market but was able to hold those losses to fairly low levels. Then, he ran up the score basically everywhere else … in general, the more rural a county was, the higher Collins stacked up margin. This is a pattern we have seen many times before. By contrast, the Governor and LG primaries are more media-market centric in outcomes. In larger metro areas where paid media tends to matter more (Atlanta, Columbus, Augusta), Jackson and Dolezal did much better. With the exception of Macon (which is basically where Jones and Kennedy are from), the two rural candidates did better in areas outside of the major media markets (except for the northeastern mountain and western regions), and Dolezal somehow managed to outperform Jackson in many coastal counties around Savannah. The basic point here is that actual voter behavior deviated significantly from expectations in terms of geographic variation. The Collins map looks familiar, while the Jackson and Dolezal maps look new.
 
Looking ahead to the general election, probably the biggest consequence of last week’s outcome is that the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms will now face off against a Republican opponent who is something of a blank slate. Because Trump strongly supported his opponent, Rick Jackson will have a potentially very important opportunity to run a more independent, Georgia focused campaign. With Georgia approaching near parity in baseline partisan identification and the number of true ticket-splitting independent voters moving up rapidly, this could potentially be very relevant. Further, we have Trump running at a net approval deficit of 43% approve/55% disapprove in the most recent UGA/AJC poll. From a Democratic standpoint, it is much easier to beat a candidate with 43% approval than it is to beat a candidate like Governor Kemp, who has consistently been polling in the very high 50s. In short, Jackson may present a tougher target unless he becomes easier to hit as the general campaign unfolds. 
 
To be sure, it remains an unanswered question whether Jackson will be able to capture the Kemp mantle, largely because he and his team have been focused on winning a Republican primary so far. And, with Democrats turning out at much higher numbers than Republicans in the primary election (and the aforementioned less than optimal presidential polling numbers for Republicans), this is going to be a competitive election no matter what. Additionally, having a competitive U.S. Senate race on the ballot may nationalize the electorate a bit more than more Georgia focused Republicans would prefer. Either way, the one thing that seems fairly certain right now is that the biggest factor in the outcome of the Governor’s race may well be how much it is defined by national politics versus Georgia politics.
 
Upcoming Legislative Meetings
Below are all study and standing committee meetings that have been announced in June and July. All House study committees and appointments can be viewed here, and Senate study committees and appointments, which were announced this week, can be viewed here. 
  • House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on the Impact of Online Platforms on Georgia Youth
    • Tuesday, June 30 in Atlanta, GA. Time and agenda are TBD. 
  • House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Community Health and Healthcare Oversight
    • Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00 AM in Atlanta, GA. Agenda
  • House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting
    • Wednesday, July 22 at 10:00 AM in Cartersville, GA. Agenda

News of Interest:    
  • Georgia is losing farmland fast. A new state program aims to help save it. Link
  • Legislature kills sales tax for property tax swap. Link
  • GOP lawmakers save Governor from rare threat of a veto override. Link
  • Georgia Tech announces Georgia data center ordinance hub. Link
  • Ballot QR code bill headed to governor after Georgia lawmakers scale back hand-counting requirement. Link
 
 
 
 
Patrick Guthrie
Communications Director
Government Relations Associate
Impact Public Affairs 
]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2026 20:01:00 GMT GA PELS Board Announces Proposed Board Rule Changes Regarding Licensure Process https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=674849 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=674849 June 12, 2024

The Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board is proposing rule changes as a result of the passage of SB 195 during the recent legislative session.  These rule changes are necessary to prevent conflicts between board rules and the laws affecting the licensure process for land surveyors.   

Input from the pubic is requested by the board regarding these changes.  The Board plans to vote for adoption of these changes at the next PELS Board meeting currently scheduled for August 1, 2024. 

Download Proposed Board Rule Changes Here

Direct Link to GA PELS Board Posting Here

]]> Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:50:00 GMT Georgia Political Report 5/13/2026 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=718789 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=718789  

GEORGIA FINAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 
May 13, 2026 
 
Following the conclusion of the 40-day bill review period yesterday, the dust has officially settled on the 2026 Georgia legislative session. The Governor made use of his “big red pen,” and several bills and budget items approved by the General Assembly were on the chopping block this year. In this newsletter, we have included summaries of everything of note that the Governor vetoed or directed agencies to disregard, and we’ve attached a document containing summaries and effective dates of all bills we tracked this year that became law.  
 
2026 Budget Disregard Statements and Line-Item Vetoes 
The Governor announced at 2:00 PM yesterday that his budget office analysis had the Fiscal Year 2027 budget structurally unbalanced by $1.3b, resulting in numerous line-item vetoes, intent and fiscal disregard statements, and full disregard statements. His final budget disregard statements and line-item vetoes cut roughly $300m in state spending, and he consistently cited the General Assembly’s focus on the passing, and his signing, of meaningful income and property tax relief. His budget vetoes also corresponded closely with his legislative vetoes this year. The Governor almost exclusively cut new or increased funding approved by the legislature, not existing funding, and some cuts were partial cuts. We have included budget cuts of note below, but the full list can be viewed here. 
  • $30.7m in new funding for K-12 student transportation. 
  • $15.8m for Medicaid reimbursement rate parity for autism services. 
  • $12m for school safety equipment grants. 
  • $10m for airport aid. 
  • $9.3m for Medicaid waivers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 
  • $5.9m for outdoor recreation. 
  • $3.7m for Georgia Research Alliance member institutions. 
  • $2.7m for child welfare investigators and prosecutors. 
  • $1m for a public-private feral hog management program. 
  • $1m for food services and farm equipment upgrades within the state prison system. 
  • $975,000 for historic preservation. 
  • $463,000 for library repairs. 
  • $300,000 for the State Election Board. 
  • $150,000 for battlefield conservation. 
 
2026 Vetoed Legislation 
The Governor also announced his legislative vetoes yesterday, and he vetoed 12 bills this year. This number is higher than usual, largely due to concerns over state reserves and the passage of certain legislation by the General Assembly found by the Governor’s office to have an unacceptable fiscal impact on those reserves. All veto statements can be found here. We have included brief summaries on relevant vetoed bills below.  
  • HB 376 (Rep. Scott Hilton) - This bill would have updated Georgia’s historic rehabilitation tax credit by raising expenditure thresholds, adjusting credit percentages, and increasing caps for both historic homes and other certified structures. The Governor cited the General Assembly’s prioritization of taxpayer relief as the reason he vetoed this legislation. 
  • HB 1077 (Rep. Noel Williams) - This legislation would have extended the sales and use tax exemption sunset date for tickets, fees, and charges of admission to certain museums, fine arts performances, or exhibitions at nonprofit facilities from December 31, 2027 to December 31, 2032. Additionally, the bill included a sales tax exemption for tickets, fees or charges for admission to the Georgia National Fair held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. The Governor cited the General Assembly’s prioritization of taxpayer relief as the reason he vetoed this legislation. 
  • HB 1192 (Rep. Darlene Taylor) - This legislation would have required that funds appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly to the Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health not be commingled with any other funds, be maintained in a separate account, and be used solely for their designated purpose. The Governor cited provisions in the bill that extended legislative authority on appropriations in a way that would have interjected the General Assembly into the operational oversight of executive branch agencies as the reason he vetoed this legislation. 
  • SB 23 (Sen. John Albers) - This bill would have allowed large public retirement systems, excluding the Employees' Retirement System and Teachers Retirement System, to invest up to 10% of their assets in real estate, so long as the real estate does not include single-family housing. It also would have increased the aggregate percentage of assets that large public retirement systems are permitted to invest in alternative investments from 10% to 15% but limited the aggregate percentage of assets that the Employees' Retirement System can invest in alternative investments to 10%. The Governor cited the inclusion of the single-family housing provision and the potential for public investment systems to make decisions based on political considerations instead of financial performance as the reasons he vetoed this legislation.  
  • SB 59 (Sen. Sam Watson) - The bill would have renewed the Reforestation Tax Credit, which provides a state income tax credit to landowners who experienced timber losses from Hurricane Helene. It also would have added a provision that caps the total available credits at $250 million. The Governor cited the General Assembly’s failure to account for an increase and extension of this credit in the appropriations process as the reason he vetoed this legislation.  
  • SB 478 (Sen. Sam Watson) - This legislation would have amended the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program's enabling legislation to adjust the allocated sale and use tax revenue from 40% to 60% and extended the sunset date for the funding mechanism by 10 years, to June 30, 2039. The Governor cited the General Assembly’s prioritization of taxpayer relief as the reason he vetoed this legislation. 
  • SB 569 (Sen. Brian Strickland) - This bill would have allowed the Department of Public Safety Commissioner to authorize the use of red emergency lights for vehicles owned by towing companies as long as they are participating in a GDOT towing and recovery program, have completed the minimum safety course requirements set by DPS, and are authorized by local governments to perform towing services or clear roadways. The Governor cited a lack of statewide uniformity in these contracts as the reason he vetoed this legislation.  
 
2026 Signed Legislation:  
Attached are bills we tracked during the 2026 legislative session that were either signed into law by the Governor or became law without his signature. To view the text of specific legislation, please visit the Georgia General Assembly’s website. To view all bills signed by the Governor, please visit his website here. 
 
House Study Committees Appointed 
The Speaker has announced his appointments to all blue-ribbon study committees, which are included below. Senate appointments have not yet been made to study committees. 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Community Health and Healthcare Oversight 
    • Rep. Mark Newton – Chair (R-Augusta) 
    • Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) 
    • Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) 
    • Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton) 
    • Rep. Devan Seabaugh (R-Marietta) 
    • Rep. Derrick McCollum (R-Chestnut Mountain) 
    • Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) 
    • Rep. Anissa Jones (D-Macon) 
    • Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City) 
    • Rep. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Transportation Infrastructure and Vehicle Regulation 
    • Rep. Rick Jasperse – Chair (R-Jasper) 
    • Rep. Lauren McDonald, III (R-Cumming) 
    • Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville) 
    • Rep. Gary Richardson (R-Evans) 
    • Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) 
    • Rep. Jutt Howard (R-Carrolton) 
    • Rep. Holt Persinger (R-Winder) 
    • Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta) 
    • Rep. Marvin Lim (D-Norcross) 
    • Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting 
    • Rep. Chas Cannon – Chair (R-Moultrie) 
    • Rep. Robert Flournoy (D-Hampton)  
    • Rep. Mitchell Scoggins (R-Cartersville) 
    • Rep. Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville) 
    • Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia) 
    • Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville) 
    • Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) 
    • Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) 
    • Rep. Trey Kelley (R-Cedartown) 
    • Rep. Yasmin Neal (D-Jonesboro) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Criminal Post-Conviction Litigation 
    • Rep. Stan Gunter – Chair (R-Blairsville) 
    • Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) 
    • Rep. Clint Crowe (R-Jackson) 
    • Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville) 
    • Rep. Bill Fincher (R-Canton) 
    • Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton) 
    • Rep. Tyler Paul Smith (R-Bremen) 
    • Rep. Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail-Available Substances 
    • Rep. Rick Townsend – Chair (R-Brunswick) 
    • Rep. Jordan Ridley (R-Woodstock) 
    • Rep. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek) 
    • Rep. Steven Meeks (R-Screven) 
    • Rep. Tyler Paul Smith (R-Bremen) 
    • Rep. Danny Mathis (R-Cochran) 
    • Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Education Performance Metrics and Workforce Stability 
    • Rep. Bethany Ballard – Chair (R-Warner Robins) 
    • Rep. Carmen Rice (R-Columbus) 
    • Rep. Sandy Donatucci (R-Buford) 
    • Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) 
    • Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) 
    • Rep. Karen Lupton (D-Chamblee) 
    • Rep. Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) 
    • Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners) 
    • Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs) 
    • Rep. Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons) 
  • Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on the Impact of Online Platforms on Georgia Youth 
    • Rep. Rob Clifton – Chair (R-Evans) 
    • Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) 
    • Rep. Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth) 
    • Rep. Johnny Chastain (R-Blue Ridge) 
    • Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) 
    • Rep. Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs) 
    • Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook (D-Savannah) 
    • Rep. Lydia Glaize (D-Fairburn) 
    • Rep. Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton) 
    • Rep. Tangie Herring (D-Macon) 
    • Shawn Conroy, Consumer Protection Division, Georgia Attorney General’s Office 
  • Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms 
    • Rep. Angie O’Steen (R-Ambrose) 
    • Rep. Jaclyn Ford (R-Tifton) 
    • Rep. David Huddleston (R-Roopville) 
    • Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella) 
  • Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia’s Foster Care System 
    • Rep. Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas) 
    • Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) 
    • Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) 
    • Rep. Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville) 
    • Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) 
    • Rep. Esther Panitch (D-Sandy Springs) 
  • House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumers’ Access to Prescription Medications 
    • Rep. Ron Stephens – Chair (R-Savannah) 
    • Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro) 
    • Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) 
    • Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) 
    • Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City) 
 

Patrick Guthrie
Communications Director
Government Relations Associate
 Impact Public Affairs

]]> Wed, 13 May 2026 21:03:00 GMT Governor Signs SAMSOG Sponsored Legislation Modernizing Surveyor Licensure Process https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=663460 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=663460 Senate Bill 374
(Amended to SB 195)

Professional Land Surveyors Licensure Modernization Act - 2024

Overview Summary

 

Updates:

05-2-24 SB195 was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp at Jordan Vocational High School in Columbus, GA. Several SAMSOG members attended the ceremony including Wright Powers, PLS (SAMSOG President), Steven Hooks, PLS (SAMSOG Vice President), Spencer Johnson,, PLS (SAMSOG Legislative Chairman), Mitch Paulk, PLS (SAMSOG Education Foundation Chairman) and his wife Julie, SAMSOG Auxiliary Chair, Ginger Jones (SAMSOG Executive Director), and Muscogee Chapter members Jeff Keefe, PLS; Seth Perdue, PLS; and Chad Carpenter, PLS. CLICK FOR A DOWNLOADABLE COPY. Pages 38 (beginning with Section 7) thru page 40 pertain to Land Surveying licensing and education. The legislation will take effect July 1, 2024.

03-29-24  SB374 was amended in the House Regulated Industries committee by Rep. Dale Washburn (Vice-Chairman) to allow engineers to take our exams without the required 18 credit hours necessary for our licensure.   After much subsequent discussion and whip counts it was evident that is Senate Bill 374 had become toxic and would not receive a favorable vote on the floor of the House. The language from Senate Bill 374 was instead amended to Senate Bill 195.   This bill was agreed to in the Senate and then passed in the House on the last day of the session at midnight with a vote of 137 to 27.  Senate Bill 195 now awaits signature by the governor to become law.

03-20-24 SB 374 passed out of House Rules committee, amended to strip language related to allow PE registrants to take the LS examinations.  House floor vote expected soon, then the bill will go back to Senate for affirmation vote related to addition of Soil Scientist text added (approved by SAMSOG) in the House. Link to latest version of bill below.

03-14-2024 SB 374 passed out of House Regulated Industries subcommittee 03-12-24 and will be considered by the full House Regulated Industries Committee on 03-15-24.  If passed, the bill will then proceed to the House rules committee to be passed onto the House floor for a vote.

02-20-2024  SB 374 passed by GA State Senate unanimously, moved over to GA State House of Representatives for consideration.

In an effort to respond to the declining number of land surveyors in our state, The Surveying and Mapping Society of GA created the "SAMSOG Surveying Education Task Force” in late 2022.  This group was tasked with finding ways to make land surveying education more accessible to aspiring land surveyors and to determine ways to remove unnecessary barriers to obtaining licensure as a land surveyor in the state of GA. 
This task force, comprised of leaders from SAMSOG, Academia, and our State Board of Registration, met many times during 2023 addressing these issues.  The group quickly determined that “decoupling” the land surveyor tests (FLS and PLS tests) from the required experience would be an excellent way to streamline the licensing process.  Decoupling is a national trend being successfully implemented in other states for Professional Land Surveyors and Engineers.  The proposed changes to the licensure process would allow aspiring land surveyors to take both the Fundamentals of Land Surveying test (FS) and the Principles of Land Surveying (PS) test immediately upon completion of the required coursework vs. waiting until the required experience period has been completed. Importantly, land surveying experience will still be required before licensure, but can be obtained subsequently to passing the exams.   This effort was supported and approved by the Board of Directors of SAMSOG at the 2023 summer conference meeting in Charleston, SC.   The SAMSOG Legislative Committee immediately began working jointly with the SAMSOG Education Task Force to craft the language for this legislation.   This effort has now resulted a bill known as Senate Bill 374  introduced in the 2024 session of the GA General Assembly.   This bill is sponsored by Senator Larry Walker.

If passed, this bill will result in several positive changes to the laws governing the way land surveyors obtain licensure in Georgia.   Here are few important points about Senate Bill 374:

  • The FLS and PLS exams can be taken immediately upon passing the required 18 semester hours in land surveying subjects.  This will allow for taking the tests while the studied material is still fresh in the applicant's mind and will likely result in a higher passing rate.  Under the current law, the tests are administered only after the experience has been obtained, often many years after the academic material was studied.
  • Three distinct routes to licensure will be created based on the level of education of the applicant.  These routes are based on the level of education of the applicant - bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or high school.  The experience required for each route has been slightly reduced with the new proposed legislation, acknowledging that newer technologies have resulted in a shorter learning curve vs. the cumbersome technologies of the past.
  • A formal two year “Apprenticeship” will be created and administered by the State Board of Registration.  Each applicant will be required to complete this apprenticeship after completing and passing the required 18 semester hours of land surveying coursework.  The apprenticeship will be attested by the applicant’s supervising professional land surveyor(s), with specific goals of developing professional level skill sets in appropriate areas.
  • Experience gained prior to completing the required 18 semester hours will be credited to the applicant’s overall experience at a rate of up to 50%.  This will streamline and accelerate many years from applicants with several years of experience, while recognizing the integration of education and experience for younger applicants.
  • The Georgia state specific land surveyor’s exam will be administered no sooner than during the last six months of the applicant’s apprenticeship period.

In summary, if passed, this legislation will result in a clearer and more efficient path to licensure for aspiring land surveyors.  Applicants will be allowed to take the exams immediately upon completion of course-work vs. later in their careers after their experience is completed, likely resulting in a higher passing rate for the examinations and more professional land surveyors for the State of GA.

The SAMSOG Education Task Force has developed several documents to assist members of the land surveying profession and the general public with understanding these changes.  Those documents can be downloaded via the following links:

SB374 (Latest Version 03/20/24)

One Page "Executive Summary" 

Longer "Overview Summary" 

Graphic Path to Licensure Comparison for Bachelor's Degree Applicants

Graphic Path to Licensure Comparison for Associate's Degree Applicants

Graphic Path to Licensure Comparison for High School Diploma Applicants

Link to Follow the progress of SB 374 as it progresses
through the GA General Assembly Session for 2024

Questions regarding SB 374 should be directed to:

Trent Turk - Chairman, SAMSOG Education Task Force
trent@geosurvey.com

Spencer Johnson - Chairman, SAMSOG Legislative Committee
shj@wellstonassoc.com

 

 

]]> Fri, 26 Jan 2024 22:00:00 GMT