HR883: HR883 House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; create

Georgia's tourism industry is a major part of the state economy, generating billions in economic impact and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, but the resolution notes Georgia ranks last in tourism marketing funding. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism to study opportunities for growth across the state, including in small towns and large cities. The ten-member committee would include five state representatives picked by the Speaker of the House, plus one representative each from the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, the Georgia Restaurant Association, the Georgia Sports Tourism Council, and Explore Georgia. The committee would study tourism challenges and opportunities, particularly ways to increase overnight hotel stays, and could recommend legislation. It would have to file a report or meeting minutes before it is abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism to study tourism growth opportunities statewide.
• Sets committee membership at ten people: five state representatives and one representative each from five named tourism industry groups.
• Directs the committee to assess tourism challenges and recommend legislation, with particular attention to increasing overnight hotel stays.
• Provides legislative members standard travel allowances and daily expense payments for nonlegislative members, funded through House of Representatives appropriations (state funding).
• Requires the committee to file a report of findings or, if none is approved, meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House before it disbands.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025.

Georgia state representatives appointed to the committee, and representatives of the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Georgia Restaurant Association, Georgia Sports Tourism Council, and Explore Georgia who would serve alongside them. The findings could eventually affect the broader tourism and hospitality industry.

The committee's work could shape future legislation affecting hotels, tourism marketing, and hospitality jobs across Georgia, particularly as the state prepares for increased visitor attention during the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta.

• Paragraph 2 sets committee membership at ten: five House members chosen by the Speaker, three of whom must sit on the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, plus five industry representatives.
• Paragraph 3 charges the committee with assessing tourism challenges and opportunities and recommending actions or legislation, focused on increasing overnight hotel stays.
• Paragraph 5 sets pay and reimbursement rules: legislative members get standard allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, other members get limited expense reimbursement, generally capped at five days unless extended.
• Paragraph 6 requires the chairperson to file an approved report or, absent one, committee meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-04-04House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-04-02House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-31House Hopper (House)

• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)

• tourism
• hotel industry
• economic development
• FIFA World Cup 2026
• legislative study committees