HR 1393: House Study Committee on Rural Hospitals; create

This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Rural Hospitals, a temporary panel of the Georgia House of Representatives. The committee would have nine members: five House members appointed by the Speaker (at least three with healthcare backgrounds and at least two from the minority party), plus four citizen members representing rural hospital executives, doctors, other healthcare workers, and cost experts. The committee's job is to study the problems facing rural hospitals in Georgia, including financial struggles, staffing shortages, and lack of telemedicine or high speed internet access, and to recommend legislation for the 2027 session. Legislative members get standard travel allowances under Georgia law, and citizen members get a daily expense allowance and mileage reimbursement, capped at five days unless extended. The committee must file any findings before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Rural Hospitals, made up of nine members appointed by the Speaker of the House.
• Requires at least three of the five legislative members to have professional healthcare backgrounds and at least two to be from the minority party.
• Adds four citizen members: a rural hospital executive, a rural hospital doctor, another rural hospital healthcare worker, and a rural healthcare cost expert.
• Directs the committee to study rural hospital problems, including finances, staffing, telemedicine, and internet access, and recommend legislation.
• Sets daily expense and mileage allowances for committee members, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized.
• Abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026, requiring any approved findings to be filed with the Clerk of the House before that date.

Rural hospitals and their staff, including administrators, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers; residents of rural Georgia communities who rely on local hospitals for care; and members of the Georgia House of Representatives who will serve on or review the committee's recommendations.

Rural hospital closures have left many Georgians traveling long distances for care in obstetrics, cancer treatment, mental health, surgery, and emergencies. This study committee would gather information and propose legislative fixes, but it does not itself fund hospitals or change any law; any real change would depend on future legislation in 2027.

• Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Rural Hospitals.
• Paragraph 2 sets membership at nine: five legislators (with healthcare and minority party representation requirements) and four citizen representatives tied to rural hospital roles.
• Paragraph 3 directs the committee to study rural hospital conditions and recommend action or legislation.
• Paragraph 5 sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21, capped at five days of allowances unless extended.
• Paragraph 6 requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-16House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-19House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-18House Hopper (House)

• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)Primary sponsor
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)
• Debbie Buckner (D, HD-137)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Robert Dawson (D, HD-065)

• rural hospitals
• healthcare access
• legislative study committee
• rural healthcare funding