GA HB1283

All Georgia state budget units (departments, agencies, institutions) must review each user fee they collect and adjust fees as necessary to adequately cover the cost of goods and services provided, with an initial deadline of October 1, 2010, and subsequent reviews at least once every three years.

"User fee" is defined as voluntary or mandatory payments made in exchange for a specific government good or service, such as licensing fees, but excludes fines, penalties, late fees, and similar punitive charges.

The General Assembly finds that the state lacks a guiding policy for user fees, that similar services are sometimes provided free to some groups while others are charged, and that fees may significantly exceed or fall far short of actual service costs.

Budget units with user fee amounts codified in state law must pursue legislation to remove the fixed statutory amounts and instead set fees through administrative rules, regulations, or agency policy; all user fees must be remitted to the state treasury unless the Constitution provides otherwise.

By October 1, 2010, each budget unit must submit a report to the Office of Planning and Budget identifying services provided for free that are similar to services for which a user fee is charged, explaining the discrepancy and recommending whether a fee should be imposed.