Governor-backed bill would preserve original Stone Mountain Park boundaries, tighten property procedures

Lorena Seba, speaking on behalf of the governor, presented House Bill 1415 (LC 650069EC) to the committee and said the measure is intended "to preserve the original boundaries of Stone Mountain Park as it was originally intended" while providing the Stone Mountain Memorial Association flexibility to responsibly manage non-core properties located outside the original park footprint.

Seba said the bill requires any acquisition or disposal of real property by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association to comply with procedures outlined in Georgia code and to follow state inventory and filing requirements to ensure a complete inventory of association-owned property.

A committee member asked whether the bill would apply to other state properties used for conservation, specifically Jekyll Island. Seba confirmed the bill does not affect Jekyll Island and said exclusion language was added when the code was revised.

The bill was presented for committee consideration; the transcript records the sponsor’s explanation and clarifications about scope but does not record a formal vote on HB 1415 during this meeting.