Bill
SR 283
Creates a temporary Senate study committee to evaluate Georgia airport height restrictions, assessing safety, economic impact, property rights, and potential policy options.
Status: Resolution Adopted (filed with Secretary; adopted by Senate)
Introduced: March 14, 2025
Abolishment date for committee: December 1, 2025
Primary sponsors: Shawn Still; Brandon Beach; Timothy Bearden; Carden Summers; Rick Williams; Dale Fowler
Overview / Purpose
- SR 283 creates a temporary Senate study committee to evaluate whether Georgia should adopt regulations limiting the height of structures around airports. The resolution responds to a perceived gap in aviation safety policy (Georgia is described as one of three states without such regulation) and seeks policy options that balance aviation safety, airport infrastructure viability, economic development, and private property rights.
Key provisions
- Creation of the "Senate Height Restrictions Surrounding Georgia Airports Study Committee."
- Scope of study: the committee must examine and report on:
1. Best practices from other states with height restriction policies;
2. Economic and operational impacts of unregulated development near airports (including costs to modify or close runways and effects on smaller/rural airports);
3. Legal implications of implementing height restrictions, with attention to property rights;
4. Stakeholder engagement (airport operators, aviation experts, economic development officials, private property owners);
5. Development of legislative or regulatory recommendations that balance safety and landowner interests.
- Membership (Senate substitute adopted): four Senators appointed by the President of the Senate (one must be the Senate Transportation Committee chair; the President also designates the committee chair); plus ex officio members: the Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner (or designee), the president (or designee) of the Georgia Municipal Association, and the president (or designee) of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
- Note: an earlier introduced version proposed a joint Senate–House committee; the Senate substitute narrowed it to a Senate-only committee.
- Meetings: called by the chair; held as needed.
- Reporting: the chair must file any committee report (with or without proposed legislation) before the committee is abolished; reports must be approved by a majority of a quorum and filed with the Secretary of the Senate.
- Compensation & funding:
- Legislative members receive allowances per O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8.
- State employees/officials receive no pay but may be reimbursed by their agencies.
- Non-state, non-legislative members receive daily expense allowances per O.C.G.A. § 45-7-21(b) plus mileage.
- Funds come from Senate appropriations (and from House appropriations in the original joint version); agency funds reimburse state employees.
Affected parties / potential impacts
- Airports (particularly smaller and rural airports), airport operators, pilots and aviation industry stakeholders.
- Private landowners and developers near airport approach/departure paths.
- Local governments (municipalities and counties) and economic development organizations.
- If the committee recommends statutory or regulatory changes, potential outcomes could include new zoning or state-height restrictions, changes to airport operations/design standards, and impacts on property use, development value, and local infrastructure costs.
Procedural timeline & actions (selected)
- Introduced: 2025-03-14; referred and reported through Senate committee.
- Senate substitute adopted and resolution passed in Senate (actions recorded 03/18/2025; substitute adopted 04/02/2025).
- Committee exists until December 1, 2025; chair must file any approved report prior to that date.
Note on document content
- The resolution file includes an initial introduction titled "MEMORIAL—KELLY M. NICHOLS" and other memorial text in the record; however, the Senate substitute adopted replaces the substantive language with the study-committee provisions summarized above.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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