HR885: HR885 House Study Committee on Election Procedures; create

Georgia's election laws are spread across the Secretary of State, the State Election Board, and local election superintendents and registrars, with some parts of the Georgia Election Code (O.C.G.A. Title 21, Chapter 2) unchanged since 1964. This resolution sets up a temporary House committee to study those laws, policies, and procedures. The Speaker of the House appoints the committee's members and names the chairperson of the House Committee on Governmental Affairs to lead it. The committee can meet as needed, subject to any meeting limit the Speaker sets, and legislative members get standard daily allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to three meeting days unless more are approved. If the committee approves findings or recommendations, including proposed legislation, the chairperson must file a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Election Procedures to examine Georgia's election laws, policies, and procedures.
• Lets the Speaker of the House decide how many members serve and appoint the chairperson of the House Committee on Governmental Affairs to lead the group.
• Directs the committee to study election administration issues and recommend any legislation it finds necessary or appropriate.
• Pays legislative members the standard allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at three days unless additional days are authorized.
• Funds the committee's work from money already appropriated to the House of Representatives.
• Sets December 1, 2025 as the date the committee stands abolished, after which any approved report or meeting minutes must be filed with the Clerk of the House.

This resolution mainly affects members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the study committee, the chairperson of the House Committee on Governmental Affairs, and indirectly the state and local officials who administer elections, such as the Secretary of State, the State Election Board, and county election superintendents and registrars.

The committee itself changes no election law, but its recommendations could shape future legislation affecting how Georgia elections are run, including rules that have been in place since the state's original 1964 Election Code.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Election Procedures.
• Paragraph (2) gives the Speaker of the House authority to set membership and requires the Governmental Affairs Committee chairperson to lead the study committee.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying election administration issues and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph (4) lets the chairperson call meetings, subject to any cap on meeting numbers set by the Speaker.
• Paragraph (5) provides legislative member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, limited to three days unless more are authorized, funded from House appropriations.
• Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings, recommendations, or reports to be filed with the Clerk of the House, or meeting minutes filed if no report is approved.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Third Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-04House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
4. 2025-04-02House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-31House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-03-31House Hopper (House)

• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)Primary sponsor
• Brad Thomas (R, HD-021)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)

1. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 9 absent)

   Uncontested House Resolutions: House Vote #444

• election procedures
• voting laws
• legislative study committee
• Georgia election code