HR847: HR847 House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health; create

LC 52 0862S The House Committee on Rules offers the following substitute to HR 847: A RESOLUTION Creating the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health; and for other1 purposes.2 WHEREAS, Georgia's health security and financial well-being depend on a growing, fully3 funded state and local public health system; and4 WHEREAS, as the former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop onc e said, "Health care5 is vital to all us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time"; and6 WHEREAS, increases in public health spending have been shown to reduce preventable7 deaths, and healthier communities support stronger economies; and8 WHEREAS, public health has historically been underfunded, specifically when compared9 with healthcare. In fact, less than one in every ten state gen eral fund dollars spent on10 Georgia's three primary health agencies goes to the Department of Public Health; and11 WHEREAS, additional support may be necessary to shape a state public health budget that12 contributes to a sustainable public health infrastructure; and13 - 1 - LC 52 0862S WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to study how Georgia's public health system is structured14 and funded and to evaluate what services such system currently provides to determine15 whether action by the state is necessary.16 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:17 (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee18 on Evaluating Funding for Public Health.19 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the20 House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of21 Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson22 of the committee.23 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,24 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or25 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.26 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee27 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or28 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and29 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.30 (5) Allowances and funding.31 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided32 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.33 (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member34 of the committee for more than three days unless additional days are authorized. Funds35 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds36 appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement37 of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative memb e r s , a n d f o r t h e38 - 2 - LC 52 0862S reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated39 to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.40 (6) Report.41 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that42 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the43 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to44 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.45 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for46 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)47 of this paragraph.48 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of49 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.50 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with51 the Clerk of the House of Representatives.52 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the53 House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu54 thereof.55 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.56 - 3 -