State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Georgia > Title-6 > Chapter-5 > 6-5-4O.C.G.A. 6-5-4 (2010)
6-5-4. Purpose of the authority; powers; support; annual audits
(a) The general purpose of the authority shall be to acquire, operate, maintain, house, and dispose of all state aviation assets, to provide aviation services and oversight of state aircraft and aviation operations to ensure the safety of state air travelers and aviation property, to achieve policy objectives through aviation missions, and to provide for the efficient operation of state aircraft. All aircraft owned or operated as of July 1, 2009, or a later date determined by the Governor, by any other entity of state government shall be transferred on that date to the custody and control of the authority; provided, however, that this chapter shall have no application to aircraft owned or operated by the Department of Defense. On and after July 1, 2009, or a later date determined by the Governor, no other entity of state government shall acquire, lease, or charter any aircraft other than through the authority. Any person who is employed by an entity of state government as a pilot and who is required by the terms of his or her employment to comply with the requirements of Chapter 8 of Title 35, the "Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Act," shall remain in the employment of the employing agency but shall be transferred for administrative purposes only to the authority on July 1, 2009, in compliance with subsection (c) of Code Section 6-5-3. All state aircraft required for the proper conduct of the business of the several administrative departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, authorities, offices, or other agencies of Georgia and authorized agents of the General Assembly, or either branch thereof, and department owned airfields and their appurtenances shall be managed and maintained by the authority. The cost for the use of such state aircraft shall be charged by the authority to the using state entity. The amount of such charge shall be determined by the authority. The authority shall be authorized to dispose of any state aircraft and apply the proceeds derived therefrom to the purchase of replacement aviation assets.
(b) In the furtherance of its purpose, the authority shall have the power to:
(1) Organize, staff, train personnel to operate, maintain, house, purchase, and dispose of aviation assets;
(2) Purchase, maintain, develop, and modify facilities to support aviation assets and operations;
(3) Develop operating, maintenance, safety, security, training, education, and scheduling standards for state aviation operations and conduct inspections, audits, and other similar oversight to determine practices and compliance with such standards;
(4) Develop an accountability system for state aviation operations and activities;
(5) Identify the costs associated with the purchase, operation, maintenance, and administration of state aircraft and aviation operations and related facilities, training, and education, develop an appropriate billing structure, and charge agencies and other state entities for the costs of state aircraft and aviation operations; provided, however, that any billing to an agency by the authority shall be suspended whenever the Governor declares a state of emergency on any cost associated with aircraft used during and in response to the state of emergency;
(6) Retain appropriate external consulting and auditing expertise;
(7) Engage aviation industry representatives to ensure best practices for state aviation assets;
(8) Delegate certain powers pursuant to this chapter to other state entities; and
(9) Otherwise implement appropriate and efficient management practices for state aviation operations.
(c) The authority shall provide priority support for those state agencies and departments, including local and state public safety and law enforcement entities, whose operations require aviation operations. No state entity other than the authority shall be authorized to expend state funds to purchase, lease, rent, charter, maintain, or repair state aircraft to be used in connection with state business or to employ a person whose official duties consist of piloting state aircraft without the approval of the authority.
(d) The funds and assets of the authority, as well as the performance of the authority, its services, and equipment, shall be audited annually by the state auditor. The initial audit shall be concluded no later than December 30, 2010. The results of such audit shall be open to inspection at reasonable times by any person. A copy of the audit report shall be sent to the state accounting officer. The authority shall also provide the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, the chairperson of the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, the chairperson of the Senate Public Safety Committee, the chairperson of the Senate Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, the chairperson of the House Committee on Transportation, and the chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee with a copy of the state audit report which shall include a full report of the activities and services of the authority. The performance audit report shall be provided no later than December 31, 2013.
