(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) "Real property" means any real property owned by the state and under the custody of any state official, department, board, bureau, commission, or other state agency, except public road, street, and highway rights of way and other real property held by the Department of Transportation pursuant to Ga. L. 1919, p. 242, art. 5, Section 5, as amended by Ga. L. 1922, p. 176, Section 1; Ga. L. 1939, p. 188, Section 1; Ga. L. 1945, p. 258, Section 1; and Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 421, Section 1. Also expressly excluded from the meaning of "real property," as used in this Code section, is all real property held by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and owned by the following public corporations: the Georgia Building Authority, the Georgia Building Authority (Hospital), the Georgia Building Authority (Markets), the Georgia Building Authority (Penal), the Georgia Education Authority (University), the Georgia Ports Authority, the Jekyll Island--State Park Authority, and the Stone Mountain Memorial Association.

(2) "Department" means any state official, department, board, bureau, commission, or other state agency having custody of state owned real property.

(b) All real property, the ownership of which is either acquired or disposed of by the state or any department thereof after March 30, 1990, shall be subject to the following requirements:

(1) Except as otherwise provided by law and except as otherwise required by the nature of the transaction conveying real property to the state or any department thereof, the title to all real property acquired shall be in the name of the state; but the conveyance shall have written or printed thereon in the upper right-hand corner of the initial page thereof the name of the department for which acquired who is the custodian thereof;

(2) The original of any conveyance acquiring real property shall be filed in the office of the State Properties Commission within 30 days after being recorded in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties wherein the real property is located. When the conveyance is presented to the State Properties Commission for filing, it shall be accompanied by four copies of the recorded plat of the real property conveyed. The State Properties Commission shall index and affix both the commission's stamp and the assigned real property inventory number on the recorded original of the conveyance and all copies of the recorded plat and shall retain the recorded original of the conveyance and two copies of the recorded plat as a part of the permanent real property inventory records kept by such commission; but an exact copy of the recorded original of the conveyance shall be produced by the State Properties Commission and, along with a copy of the recorded plat, forwarded by such commission to the department acquiring the real property;

(3) When real property is acquired by eminent domain and is conveyed to the state by court order or judgment, following recording of the court order or judgment in the deed book records in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties wherein the real property is located, a certified copy of the recorded court order or judgment, along with four copies of the recorded plat of the real property conveyed, shall be filed in the office of the State Properties Commission. The State Properties Commission shall index and affix both the commission's stamp and the assigned real property inventory number on the certified copy of the recorded court order or judgment and all copies of the recorded plat and shall retain the certified copy and two copies of the recorded plat as a part of the permanent real property inventory records kept by such commission; but an exact copy of the certified copy of the recorded court order or judgment shall be produced by the State Properties Commission and, along with a copy of the recorded plat, forwarded by such commission to the department acquiring the real property;

(4)(A) The original of any fully executed conveyance disposing of real property, except an Act or Resolution Act of the General Assembly, shall be filed in the office of the State Properties Commission before being delivered to the purchaser thereof for recording in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties wherein the real property is located. When the conveyance is presented to the State Properties Commission for filing, it shall be accompanied by four copies of the plat of the real property conveyed. Though it is encouraged, it is not required that the plat be either already recorded in or eligible to be recorded in the plat book records in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties wherein the real property is located. The commission shall index and affix both the commission's stamp and the assigned real property inventory number on the original of the conveyance and all copies of the plat. The State Properties Commission shall then cause the conveyance to be duplicated. The duplicate of the conveyance and two copies of the plat shall be retained by the State Properties Commission as a part of the permanent real property inventory records kept by such commission. The original of the conveyance and a copy of the plat shall be delivered to the purchaser of the real property. Upon receiving the original of the conveyance and a copy of the plat, the purchaser of the real property may then have the original of the conveyance and, if necessary and eligible for recording, the copy of the plat recorded in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties wherein the real property is located.

(B) The General Assembly may vary or authorize the variance of the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph in any enactment, including an Act or Resolution Act, authorizing or directing a disposition of real property; and

(5) When real property is conveyed by an Act or Resolution Act of the General Assembly, the State Properties Commission shall obtain from the office of the Secretary of State a certified copy of the Act or Resolution Act and retain the same as a part of the permanent real property inventory records kept by such commission. As a part of such retention, the State Properties Commission shall index and affix both the commission's stamp and the assigned real property inventory number on the certified copy of the Act or Resolution Act.

(c) The documents which are required to be maintained by the State Properties Commission as a part of the permanent real property inventory records kept by such commission, as provided by paragraphs (2) through (5) of subsection (b) of this Code section, shall be used by the State Properties Commission in such manner as it shall determine best in maintaining the real property inventory.