Bill > HB547

This bill amends Georgia tax law to allow property owners with multiple parcels under conservation use covenants to combine those parcels into a single, new ten-year conservation covenant without breaching existing agreements. Specifically, the bill permits a single property owner to consolidate parcels of bona fide conservation use property that are currently under separate covenants, provided that all properties would be eligible for covenant renewal upon their original covenant's expiration. The bill includes important restrictions: no portion of the property can be removed from the covenant without being included in the new combined covenant, the requirements for qualified property and qualifying use remain unchanged, and property owners must file a real property tax return by the specified deadline. Additionally, parcels with delinquent taxes are ineligible for this combination process. The bill is set to become effective on January 1, 2026, and will repeal any conflicting laws. A "bona fide conservation use property" typically refers to land maintained in a natural state or used for forestry, wildlife preservation, or similar conservation purposes, which can receive preferential tax assessment.

Budget and Finance

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70584