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Running forState House, District 179

Rick Townsend

RepublicanHas the job now

Overview

Richard Allen Townsend is an American politician. He is a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 179th District.

Official site →Ballotpedia →

Facts from Wikipedia.

Bills they wrote

Bills and joint resolutions where they're the main author, since 2023. Laws first, then the ones that got furthest.

Wrote

29 bills

Became law

6 became law. Another 2 passed the House or Senate but didn't.

  • Introduced Mar 18, 2025HB 793: Home Ownership Municipal Exemption (H.O.M.E.) Act; enact
    Became law
  • Introduced Mar 6, 2025HB 732: Glynn County; levy an excise tax
    Became law
  • Introduced Feb 4, 2025HB 235: Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act; enact
    Became law
  • Introduced Feb 4, 2025HB 233: State symbols; Brunswick stew as the official state stew; designate
    Became law
  • Introduced Mar 20, 2023HB 778: Glynn County; State Court; change compensation of solicitor general
    Became law
  • Introduced Jan 31, 2023HB 181: Controlled Substances; mitragynine and hydroxymitragynine are Schedule I; provide
    Became law
  • Introduced Jan 14, 2026HB 971: Quality Basic Education Act; home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; provide
    Passed the House
  • Introduced Jan 14, 2026HB 970: Quality Basic Education Act; expand which healthcare professionals may conduct preparticipation physical examinations
    Passed the House
  • Introduced Jun 17, 2026HB 12: Brunswick, City of; ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jun 17, 2026HB 11: Glynn County; ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 24, 2026HB 1445: Juvenile proceedings; authorize sharing of GPS monitoring with law enforcement and school districts
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 29, 2026HB 1104: Health; prohibit certain examinations on an unconscious patient or a patient undergoing anesthesia without prior informed consent or authorization
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 28, 2026HB 1056: Education; replace term auto-injectable epinephrine with epinephrine and consolidate provisions relating to epinephrine and schools
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 28, 2026HB 1072: Environmental Protection Division; authorize director to investigate and consider out-of-state regulatory history when processing applications for certain permits
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 14, 2026HB 969: Georgia State Employees Post-employment Health Benefit Fund; certain fund beneficiaries to not be disqualified from postretirement health benefits; provide
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 14, 2026HB 968: Controlled substances; mitragynine and hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are Schedule I; provide
    Introduced
  • Introduced Mar 27, 2025HB 873: Education, Department of; employ beneficiaries of Teachers Retirement System of Georgia; allow
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 26, 2025HB 643: Education; install key boxes at each school building in locations determined in collaboration with local law enforcement; provide
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 26, 2025HB 644: Environmental Protection Division; authorize director to investigate and consider out-of-state regulatory history when processing applications for certain permits
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 20, 2025HB 554: APEX Now Program; enact
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 20, 2025HB 565: Income tax; increase annual aggregate limit for tax credits available for qualified education donations
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 4, 2025HB 269: Education; revise requirements of child care learning centers and family child care learning homes
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 4, 2025HB 234: Income tax; commercial pilot, aircraft mechanic, or an aircraft technician; exempt taxable net income as a sign-on bonus or retention bonus
    Introduced
  • Introduced Jan 17, 2025HB 118: Education; revise requirements of child care learning centers and family child care learning homes
    Introduced
  • Introduced Mar 7, 2024HB 1457: Income tax; commercial pilot or an aircraft technician; exempt taxable net income as a sign-on bonus or retention bonus
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 6, 2024HB 1169: Environmental Protection Division; investigate and consider out-of-state regulatory history when processing applications for certain permits; authorize
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 6, 2024HB 1167: Georgia Foundation for Public Education; prioritizing low-performing schools applicable to the award of grants to public schools by a nonprofit corporation; remove a provision
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 6, 2024HB 1168: Motor vehicles; notation of certain medical conditions and disabilities on driver's licenses; provide
    Introduced
  • Introduced Feb 1, 2024HB 1131: Education; evidence based suicide awareness and training programs; provide
    Introduced

Source: Open States

How they voted

Final votes on bills that passed either chamber of the Georgia legislature, since 2023. Votes on amendments, committees, and procedure are left out. A bill can show up under more than one topic.

Votes shown

1,474 votes on bills that passed at least one chamber.

Attendance

Didn't vote on 13 of 1,606 votes (less than 1%). They had permission to be away (excused) for 7 of them.

By topic
Agriculture42 votes
    Alcoholic Beverages6 votes
      Animals10 votes
        Appeal and Error21 votes
          Aviation11 votes
            Banking and Finance18 votes
              Buildings and Housing23 votes
                Civil Practice36 votes
                  Commerce and Trade53 votes
                    Commercial Code2 votes
                      Conservation and Natural Resources55 votes
                        Contracts5 votes
                          Corporations, Partnerships, and Associations7 votes
                            Courts124 votes
                              Crimes and Offenses (Criminal Code)132 votes
                                Criminal Procedure49 votes
                                  Domestic Relations25 votes
                                    Education212 votes
                                      Elections33 votes
                                        Equity6 votes
                                          Evidence15 votes
                                            Fire Protection and Safety14 votes
                                              Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics30 votes
                                                Game and Fish20 votes
                                                  General Assembly56 votes
                                                    General Provisions, Ocga10 votes
                                                      Guardian and Ward10 votes
                                                        Handicapped Persons19 votes
                                                          Health159 votes
                                                            Highways, Bridges, and Ferries43 votes
                                                              Insurance98 votes
                                                                Labor and Industrial Relations19 votes
                                                                  Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies72 votes
                                                                    Local Government127 votes
                                                                      Mental Health30 votes
                                                                        Military, Emergency Management, and Veterans Affairs47 votes
                                                                          Minors33 votes
                                                                            Motor Vehicles and Traffic137 votes
                                                                              Nuisances2 votes
                                                                                Penal Institutions36 votes
                                                                                  Professions and Businesses132 votes
                                                                                    Property91 votes
                                                                                      Public Officers and Employees76 votes
                                                                                        Public Utilities and Transportation27 votes
                                                                                          Retirement and Pensions37 votes
                                                                                            Revenue and Taxation203 votes
                                                                                              Social Services51 votes
                                                                                                State Government135 votes
                                                                                                  Torts18 votes
                                                                                                    Waters, Ports, and Watercraft14 votes
                                                                                                      Wills, Trusts, and Administration of Estates9 votes
                                                                                                        Local laws (one city or county)9 votes
                                                                                                          Other23 votes

                                                                                                            Source: Open States, Georgia General Assembly. Topics from the state legislature.