---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public utilities; authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation"
description: "A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to telecommunications and competition development, so as to authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation; to repeal a limitation on the period of time certain distributions can be made from the Universal Access Fund; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ga"
legislature: "Georgia General Assembly"
session: "2025_26"
identifier: "HB 998"
citation: "Georgia HB 998 (2025_26)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Al Williams", "Alan Powell", "Beth Camp", "Chuck Efstration", "Rick Jasperse", "Rob Leverett"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 14
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2026-01-15"
last_action: "2026-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2b8edaf1-a34d-4ec2-9a85-1dd5bb0a311d"
source_url: "http://webservices.legis.ga.gov/GGAServices/Legislation/Service.svc?wsdl"
source_hash: "242b3a0b6e00d48119ab8cde0f3666f6464a3412f3ca5951f44d483f1a6bfe03"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ga"]
---

# Georgia HB 998 (2025_26) — Public utilities; authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to telecommunications and competition development, so as to authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation; to repeal a limitation on the period of time certain distributions can be made from the Universal Access Fund; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB 998/AP*** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/246483.pdf)
2. **LC 56 0458/a** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/239971.pdf)
3. **LC 56 0570S/RCS** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/242536.pdf)
4. **LC 56 0570S/rcs** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/242433.pdf)
5. **Sen Floor Amend 1 AM 56 0055** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/246321.pdf)
6. **Sen Floor Amend 1A AM 56 0056** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20252026/246323.pdf)

## Votes

- House Vote #508 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **161–2** (pass) · lower
- Senate Vote #732 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **50–2** (pass) · upper
- Senate Vote #731 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **31–20** (pass) · upper
- Senate Vote #730 - 2025-2026 Regular Session — **31–21** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Al Williams — primary (person)
- Alan Powell — primary (person)
- Beth Camp — primary (person)
- Chuck Efstration — primary (person)
- Rick Jasperse — primary (person)
- Rob Leverett — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-15** House Hopper `introduction`
- **2026-01-16** House First Readers `reading-1`
- **2026-01-27** House Second Readers `reading-2`
- **2026-01-28** House Committee Favorably Reported `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-12** House Third Readers `reading-3`
- **2026-02-12** House Passed/Adopted By Substitute `passage`
- **2026-02-17** Senate Read and Referred `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-12** Senate Committee Favorably Reported `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-16** Senate Read Second Time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-18** Senate Third Read `reading-3`
- **2026-03-18** Senate Passed/Adopted `passage`
- **2026-04-06** House Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-12** House Date Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-12** Act 636 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2b8edaf1-a34d-4ec2-9a85-1dd5bb0a311d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Georgia legislature records).