News & Press https://www.samsog.org/news/default.asp Thu, 4 Jun 2026 03:17:36 GMT Thu, 21 May 2026 19:01:00 GMT Copyright © 2026 Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia Georgia Political Report 5/20/2026 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727765 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727765 GEORGIA POLITICAL REPORT - PRIMARY EDITION 
May 20, 2026 
 
Yesterday, the 2026 primary elections were held across the state of Georgia. Candidates for U.S. Senate, all statewide constitutional offices, two Public Service Commission seats, the General Assembly, and some local offices were on the ballot. The non-partisan general elections for the Georgia Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court, and municipal courts were on the ballot as well. While some of the now nominees were decided yesterday in the partisan primary elections, most races at the top of the ticket are headed to June 16 runoff elections. Voters will go back to the polls in four weeks to determine the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, the Republican nominee for Governor, both the Republican and Democratic nominees for Lieutenant Governor, and the Republican and Democratic nominees for Secretary of State, to name a few.  
 
We will expand on yesterday’s partisan primary results further down in this newsletter, but in the non-partisan general election, voters decided to send Supreme Court Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Warren back to the state’s highest court over challengers Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan. Jordan, a former state Senator and Democratic nominee for Attorney General, and Rankin, an Atlanta trial attorney, were endorsed by Barack Obama and supported by state and national Democrats alike, and their campaigns included highly partisan messaging that is atypical in Georgia judicial races. With Democrats leading in total ballots selected in this election, the incumbent’s victories were somewhat unexpected.  
 
While we still wait for final total turnout numbers from the Secretary of State, we do have preliminary turnout numbers from top of the ticket races, which are good indicator of total turnout. This year, 933,052 people voted in the Republican primary for governor, and 1,079,721 voted in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. For context, 1.2m people voted in the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary, and 727,168 voted in that Democratic primary for governor, meaning this year’s turnout reflects a 9% decrease for Republicans and a 48% increase for Democrats.   
 
May 19 Election Results 
Below are the winners of last night’s non-partisan general and primary elections for statewide office. As mentioned above, a number of the primary races are still undecided and will require a runoff election on June 16. Outright winners and runoff candidates are noted in bold. For the sake of brevity, candidates that received less than 4% are excluded. All statewide and legislative election results can be found here.  
 
Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (Bethel) 
  • Justice Charlie Bethel – 51.12% 
  • Miracle Rankin – 48.88% 
 
Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (Warren) 
  • Justice Sarah Warren – 59.34% 
  • Jen Jordan – 40.66% 
 
U.S. Senate – Republican 
  • U.S. Representative Mike Collins - 40.5% 
  • Derek Dooley - 30.2% 
  • U.S. Representative Buddy Carter - 25.1% 
 
U.S. Senate – Democratic 
  • U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (Uncontested) 
 
Governor – Republican 
  • Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones - 38.4% 
  • Rick Jackson - 32.5% 
  • Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger - 15.0% 
  • Attorney General Chris Carr - 11.9% 
 
Governor – Democratic 
  • Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms - 56.2% 
  • Former state Senator Jason Esteves - 18.7% 
  • Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond - 12.9% 
  • Former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan - 7.0% 
 
Lieutenant Governor – Republican 
  • Former state Senator John F. Kennedy - 27.3% 
  • State Senator Greg Dolezal - 23.1% 
  • State Senator Blake Tillery - 19.1% 
  • State Representative David Clark - 15.8% 
  • State Senator Steve Gooch - 11.7 
 
Lieutenant Governor – Democratic 
  • State Senator Josh McLaurin - 41.4% 
  • Former state Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes - 39.5% 
  • Richard Wright - 19.1% 
 
Secretary of State – Republican 
  • State Representative Tim Fleming - 39.2% 
  • Former state Representative Vernon Jones - 27.2% 
  • Kelvin King - 16.0% 
  • Gabriel Sterling - 11.9% 
  • Ted Metz - 5.6% 
 
Secretary of State – Democratic 
  • Former Fulton County State Judge Penny Brown Reynolds - 42.3% 
  • Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett - 35.2% 
  • Cam Ashling - 12.3% 
  • Adrian Consonery, Jr. - 10.1% 
 
Attorney General – Republican 
  • State Senator Brian Strickland - 71.6% 
  • State Senator Bill Cowsert - 28.4% 
 
Attorney General – Democratic 
  • State Representative Tanya Miller - 84.5% 
  • Former state House Minority Leader Bob Trammell - 15.5% 
 
State School Superintendent – Republican  
  • State School Superintendent Richard Woods - 49.89% 
  • Candler Co. Superintendent Bubba Longgrear - 29.10% 
  • Randell Trammell - 14.08% 
  • Former state Representative Mesha Mainor - 4.07% 
 
State School Superintendent – Democratic  
  • Lydia Powell - 50.49% 
  • Anton Anthony - 29.80% 
  • Otha Thornton - 19.71% 
 
Agriculture Commissioner – Republican 
  • Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper (Uncontested) 
 
Agriculture Commissioner – Democratic 
  • Katherine Juhan-Arnold - 62.11% 
  • Sedrick Rowe, Jr. - 37.89% 
 
Insurance Commissioner – Republican  
  • Insurance Commissioner John King (Uncontested) 
 
Insurance Commissioner – Democratic  
  • Keisha Sean Waites - 42.03% 
  • Deandre Mathis - 19.80% 
  • Clarence Blalock - 18.80% 
  • AJ Jain - 12.02% 
  • Thomas Dean - 8.35% 
 
Labor Commissioner – Republican  
  • Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera-Holmes (Uncontested) 
 
Labor Commissioner – Democratic  
  • Nikki Porcher - 30.78% 
  • Michelle Michi Sanchez - 25.86% 
  • Brett Hulme -19.81% 
  • Christian Wise Smith -13.52% 
  • Jason Moon - 10.04% 
 
Public Service Commission District 3 – Republican  
  • Former Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson - 50.19% 
  • Brandon Martin - 49.81% 
  • Note: This race is within the .5% threshold for a statutorily required recount.  
 
Public Service Commission District 3 – Democratic  
  • Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard (Uncontested) 
 
Public Service Commission District 5 – Republican  
  • Josh Tolbert - 47.16% 
  • Bobby Mehan - 31.06% 
  • Carolyn Roddy - 21.78% 
 
Public Service Commission District 5 – Democratic  
  • Shelia Edwards - 55.69% 
  • Angelia Pressley - 25.93% 
  • Craig Cupid - 18.38% 
 
General Assembly Primaries 
With so many members of the General Assembly running for higher office and many of those that ran for reelection facing primary opponents, one incumbent was defeated last night, and some candidates that were victorious in their primary elections for open seats do not have general election opposition. Of the 32 members of the Georgia House of Representatives and 12 members of the Georgia Senate that faced primary challenges, all but 2 won outright and are their party’s nominee for the November general election. Democratic Representative Mary Ann Santos will face Kim Thomas Smith in a runoff election, and Republican Representative Bill Werkheiser was the lone incumbent to lose his primary outright last night, falling to Bradley Anderson.  
 
Of the 21 primaries for open seats in the House and 12 in the Senate, 3 of those nominees won yesterday without a runoff, do not face opposition in the general election, and will serve in the General Assembly when they convene in January. They are Chad Bingham (R-Braselton), Juan Estrada (D-Duluth), and MiQuan Green (D-Savannah). All were effectively elected to the House of Representatives yesterday. 
 
In Case You Missed It - Governor Kemp Calls June 17 Special Session 
Governor Kemp has called the General Assembly back to Atlanta for a special session beginning at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 17, one day after the June 16 Primary Runoff Elections to settle multiple statewide and down ballot races. The Governor specified that the legislature will convene for two specific purposes: to redraw the state’s political maps and to overhaul Georgia’s voting system.  
 
Per the Georgia Constitution, the General Assembly can only address business related to the purposes stated in the Governor's proclamation convening a special session, unless amendments to the proclamation’s scope receive a 3/5 vote in both chambers. The Constitution does, however, grant the Governor the ability to amend the proclamation before the special session officially convenes. 
  
News of Interest:     
  • Gov. Kemp Suspends Gas Tax for Two Additional Weeks. Link 
  • Data centers are a hot topic in Coastal Georgia. Link 
  • Federal officials tout Middle GA gas plants as part of Trump’s ‘energy dominance’. Link  
  • To cover tax cuts, Kemp nixes new funds for forests, historic sites, arts and short-line rail. Link 
  • Georgia-Based Unified Legacy to Create 500 New Jobs in Macon-Bibb County. Link 
 
 
Patrick Guthrie
Communications Director
Government Relations Associate
Impact Public Affairs 
]]> Thu, 21 May 2026 20:01:00 GMT Governor Kemp Calls June 17 Special Session https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727291 https://www.samsog.org/news/news.asp?id=727291 GEORGIA SPECIAL SESSION UPDATE 
May 13, 2026  
 
P.S. - Governor Kemp Calls June 17 Special Session 
P.S. Governor Kemp has called the General Assembly back to Atlanta for a special session beginning at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 17, one day after the likely June 16 Primary Runoff Elections to settle multiple statewide and down ballot races. In a proclamation issued this afternoon, the Governor specified that the legislature will convene for two specific purposes: to redraw the state’s political maps and to overhaul Georgia’s voting system.  
  
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 29 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which deemed compliance with the Voting Rights Act not to require states to use race as the basis for redistricting, Georgia will redraw its state legislative and congressional district maps for the 2028 election cycle, not the 2026 election cycle as some states are in the process of doing.   
  
Additionally, Georgia faces a legal dilemma regarding the use of QR codes to count votes. QR codes were banned three legislative sessions ago in SB 189, and that bill had a July 1, 2026 effective date. During this year’s legislative session, the full General Assembly did not pass any legislation delaying effective date of SB 189, repealing or changing the legal requirement of counties to use the current voting machines that utilize QR codes, or appropriating funds to counties to replace the machines. The Governor subsequently deemed a special session necessary for the state to address these issues ahead of the deadline and the November General Election to avoid resolving them in a court room.   
  
While the start date and time and topics are specified in the Governor’s proclamation, the end date is not. This means that the General Assembly has as much time as they need to address the issues they’ve been charged with solving. Per the Georgia Constitution, the General Assembly can only address business related to the purposes stated in the Governor's proclamation convening a special session, unless amendments to the proclamation’s scope receive a 3/5 vote in both chambers. The Constitution does, however, grant the Governor the ability to amend the proclamation before the special session officially convenes.  
 
Patrick Guthrie
Communications Director
Government Relations Associate
Impact Public Affairs 
]]> Thu, 14 May 2026 17:42:00 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

 

 

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