GA Code § 50-16-34 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 50 - State Government|Chapter 16 - Public Property|Article 2 - State Properties Code|§ 50-16-34. Powers and Duties of State Properties Commission Generally

 The commission, in addition to other powers and duties set forth in other Code sections of this article, shall have the power and duty to:    Inspect, control, manage, oversee, and preserve the property;   Maintain at all times a current inventory of the property;   Authorize the payment of any tax or assessment legally levied by the State of Tennessee or any governmental subdivision thereof upon any part of the property situated within the State of Tennessee;   Prepare lease or sale proposals affecting the property for submission to the General Assembly;   Approve a conveyance of state property; provided, however, that the commission shall not be authorized to approve a conveyance of state property that exceeds a value of $500,000.00 as determined by an appraisal or opinion of value;   Subject to the limitation contained in this article, determine all of the terms and conditions of each instrument prepared or executed by it;   Have prepared a thorough report of such data as will enable the commission to arrive at a fair valuation of the property; and to include within the report either an opinion of the value if the conveyance is to a public entity or for the purposes of constructing, installing, operating, and maintaining utilities which solely and directly benefit the state or at least one written appraisal of the value of the property if the conveyance is to a private entity, which appraisal shall be made by a person or persons familiar with property values in the area where the property is situated and who is a member of a nationally recognized appraisal organization. If the written appraisal values the property in excess of $100,000.00, then a second written appraisal shall be required. In the case of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, at least two written appraisals shall be required, one of which may be the latest valuation report of the Western and Atlantic Railroad prepared by the Interstate Commerce Commission or successor agency;   Contract with any person for the preparation of studies or reports as to:   The value of such property including, but not limited to, sale value, lease value, and insurance value;   The proper utilization to be made of such property; and   Any other data necessary or desirable to assist the commission in the execution and performance of its duties;     Insure the improvements on all or any part of the property against loss or damage by fire, lightning, tornado, or other insurable casualty; and insure the contents of the improvements against any such loss or damage;   Inspect as necessary any of the property which may be under a lease, rental agreement, or revocable license agreement in order to determine whether the property is being kept, preserved, cared for, repaired, maintained, used, and operated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the lease, rental agreement, or revocable license agreement and to take such action necessary to correct any violation of the terms and conditions of the lease, rental agreement, or revocable license agreement;   Deal with and dispose of any unauthorized encroachment upon, or use or occupancy of, any part of the property, whether the encroachment, use, or occupancy is permissive or adverse, or whether with or without claim of right therefor; to determine whether the encroachment, use, or occupancy shall be removed or discontinued or whether it shall be permitted to continue and, if so, to what extent and upon what terms and conditions; to adjust, settle, and finally dispose of any controversy that may exist or arise with respect to any such encroachment, use, or occupancy in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as the commission may deem to be in the best interest of the state; to take such action as the commission may deem proper and expedient to cause the removal or discontinuance of any such encroachment, use, or occupancy; and to institute and prosecute for and on behalf of and in the name of the state such actions and other legal proceedings as the commission may deem appropriate for the protection of the state's interest in or the assertion of the state's title to such property;   Settle, adjust, and finally dispose of any claim, dispute, or controversy of any kind whatsoever arising out of the terms and conditions, operation, or expiration of any lease of the property or grant of rights in the property;   Negotiate and prepare for submission to the General Assembly amendments to any existing lease, which amendments shall not, for the purposes of paragraph (4) of this Code section and Code Section 50-16-39, be interpreted as lease proposals or proposals to lease, provided:   That the lessee of the lease as it is to be amended shall be either the lessee, a successor, an assignee, or a sublessee as to all or a portion of the property described in the lease as first executed or as heretofore amended; and   On or before December 31 in each year the executive director of the State Properties Commission shall submit a report describing all conveyances and proposed conveyances negotiated during that year or under negotiation at the date of the report to the chairpersons of the Senate State Institutions and Property Committee and the House Committee on State Properties or such other standing committee that routinely considers state property related issues as designated by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives;     Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be necessary or desirable to inspect, control, manage, oversee, and preserve the property;   Do all things and perform all acts necessary or convenient to carry out the powers and fulfill the duties given to the commission in this article;   Perform all terms including, but not limited to, termination, satisfy all conditions, fulfill all requirements, and discharge all obligations and duties contained in all conveyances which provide that the commission is empowered to act or shall act for and on behalf of the state and which conveyances have heretofore been approved and adopted by a resolution of the General Assembly or which conveyances may be approved and adopted by a resolution of the General Assembly approved by the Governor;   Perform all terms, satisfy all conditions, fulfill all requirements, discharge all obligations, and otherwise implement the disposition of real property for and on behalf of the state when the General Assembly so provides in any enactment, including Acts or resolutions, authorizing or directing a disposition of real property of the state or of any instrumentality of the state; and   Provide or perform acquisition related services to or for all state entities.    (Code 1933, § 91-104A, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 146, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 663, § 3; Ga. L. 1970, p. 455, § 1; Code 1933, § 91-105a, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 857, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1035, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1040, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 1092, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 816, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 50; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1408, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1423, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 10, § 50; Ga. L. 1988, p. 554, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 50; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 50; Ga. L. 2005, p. 100, § 11/SB 158; Ga. L. 2006, p. 72, § 50/SB 465; Ga. L. 2009, p. 303, § 11/HB 117; Ga. L. 2013, p. 141, § 50/HB 79; Ga. L. 2014, p. 467, § 2/HB 495; Ga. L. 2020, p. 319, § 1/HB 780.)    The 2020 amendment,  effective January 1, 2021, in paragraph (7), inserted "or for the purposes of constructing, installing, operating, and maintaining utilities which solely and directly benefit the state" in the first sentence, and inserted commas following "$100,000.00" in the second sentence and following "required" in the last sentence.   Editor's notes.   - Ga. L. 2009, p. 303, § 20/HB 117, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act is intended to reflect the current internal organization of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives and is not otherwise intended to change substantive law. In the event of a conflict with any other Act of the 2009 General Assembly, such other Act shall control over this Act."   JUDICIAL DECISIONS    Primary function of commission is acquisition of property on behalf of the state through condemnation or otherwise. Murphy v. State, 233 Ga. 681, 212 S.E.2d 839 (1975).   Execution of functions.    - Most functions of commission must be performed by executive branch of government. Murphy v. State, 233 Ga. 681, 212 S.E.2d 839 (1975).   Power over Western and Atlantic Railroad right-of-way.    - Because there can be no adverse possession or implied dedication of state property to a municipal corporation, which is a creature of the state, a city could not acquire a right to use pedestrian crossings over the Western & Atlantic Railroad right-of-way without the state's express consent. City of Marietta v. CSX Transp., Inc., 272 Ga. 612, 533 S.E.2d 372 (2000).   RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 63C Am. Jur. 2d, Public Lands, §§ 118, 126. 72 Am. Jur. 2d, States, Territories, and Dependencies, §§ 69, 70.   C.J.S.   - 73B C.J.S., Public Lands, §§ 249 et seq., 287 et seq. 81A C.J.S., States, §§ 256, 263 et seq.   ALR.    - Constitutionality and construction of statutes relating to grazing and pasturing sheep or goats on public land, 70 A.L.R. 410.