---
title: HR 1416. Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1416
cite_as: HR 1416, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1416
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1416.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1416/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73420
date: 2026-03-23
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 792
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1416.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1416
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-23
last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted
sponsors:
  - Robert Dickey
  - Steven Meeks
  - Angie O'Steen
  - Jaclyn Ford
  - John Corbett
  - Gerald Greene
  - Russ Goodman
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1416/2025
upstream_id: 2120622
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - family farms
  - agriculture policy
  - legislative study committees
  - farm economy
  - rural mental health
---

# HR 1416. Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; create

## Text

House Resolution 1416
By: Representatives Dickey of the 134th, Meeks of the 178th, O’Steen of the 169th, Ford of
the 170th, Corbett of the 174th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS, the agricultural industry is the leading driver of this state's economy and the
family farm is central to the identity of Georgia and its continued success; and
WHEREAS, the agricultural industry contributes $100.4 billion to this state's economy and
contributes 370,400 jobs to the workforce, yet the United States' agricultural trade deficit is
projected to exceed $40 billion this year; and
WHEREAS, despite consumers facing rising food prices, the farmer's share of every dollar
spent by consumers continues to get smaller; and
WHEREAS, farm families have faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years
including natural disasters, global trade wars, disease outbreaks, corporate consolidation, and
a declining workforce, leading to record high input costs and record low commodity prices;
and
WHEREAS, the insurmountable economic challenges facing family farms have caused a
rapid increase in suicides and mental illnesses within the farm community; and
WHEREAS, the aforementioned challenges are causing American consumers to be more
reliant on imported food and fiber, leading to the outsourcing of food production to trading
partners overseas; and
WHEREAS, a study is needed to evaluate the challenges family farms are facing and to
explore policies and investments the General Assembly can pursue to support existing
markets, develop new and innovative domestic markets, decrease the cost of inputs,
adequately prepare the next generation of farmers, and address systemic challenges
contributing to the declining farm economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
GEORGIA:
(1) Creation of joint study committee. There is created the Joint Study Committee on
Generational Sustainability of Family Farms.
(2) Members and officers.
(A) The committee shall be composed of nine members.
(B) The President of the Senate shall appoint three members of the Senate as members
of the committee.
(C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members of the
House of Representatives as members of the committee.
(D) The committee shall include additional members as follows:
(i) The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs,
who shall serve as cochairperson of the committee;
(ii) The chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs
Committee, who shall serve as cochairperson of the committee; and
(iii) The Commissioner of Agriculture.
(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,
issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or
legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.
(4) Meetings. The cochairpersons shall call all meetings of the committee. The
committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem
necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform
its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.
(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,
or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee,
but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as
members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in
their capacities as state officials or employees.
(C) The allowances and expenses authorized by this resolution shall not be received
by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are
authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come
from funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of Representatives; except that
funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative
members, and state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise
available to their respective agencies.
(6) Report.
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file a report of the
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for
proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file the report, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(C) No report shall be filed without approval prior to the date of abolishment specified
in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. A report so approved
shall be signed by the cochairpersons of the committee and filed with the Secretary of
the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the cochairpersons may file with the
Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives copies of the
minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2027.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House resolution creates a nine-member joint legislative study committee to examine the economic pressures facing family farms and recommend policy or legislation to the General Assembly by December 2027.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution sets up the Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms, made up of three senators, three House members, the chairs of the Senate and House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committees (who cochair the panel), and the Commissioner of Agriculture. The resolution cites Georgia's $100.4 billion agricultural economy, rising input costs, falling commodity prices, and increasing mental health struggles among farm families as reasons for the study.
The committee is directed to study the challenges family farms face and recommend policies or legislation on markets, input costs, and preparing the next generation of farmers. Cochairpersons call meetings, legislative members get standard travel allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, and any report with recommendations must be approved by majority vote before being filed with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House. The committee is abolished on December 1, 2027.

### What it does

- Creates a nine-member Joint Study Committee on Generational Sustainability of Family Farms with members from the Senate, House, and the Commissioner of Agriculture.
- Directs the committee to study economic and structural problems facing family farms and recommend legislation or other action.
- Sets pay and reimbursement rules for legislative and non-legislative members under existing state allowance law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8).
- Limits paid allowances to five days of meetings unless additional days are specifically authorized.
- Requires any report with legislative recommendations to be approved by majority vote and filed with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
- Abolishes the committee on December 1, 2027.

### Who it affects

Members of the Georgia General Assembly appointed to the committee, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the chairs of the House and Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committees. More broadly, Georgia farm families and the agricultural industry are the subject of the study, though the resolution itself creates no new rules for farmers.

### Why it matters

The resolution does not change any law or provide direct help to farmers; it sets up a formal process for lawmakers to gather information on farm economics and mental health struggles and potentially draft future legislation addressing input costs, market access, and generational transition on family farms.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (2) sets the committee's composition: three Senate appointees, three House appointees, the two Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committee chairs as cochairs, and the Commissioner of Agriculture.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying farm-related conditions and problems and recommending action or legislation.
- Paragraph (4) lets the cochairpersons call and schedule meetings as needed.
- Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and caps paid days at five unless more are authorized, with funding coming from legislative or agency appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires majority approval of any report with legislative recommendations before it is filed, or allows meeting minutes to be filed instead.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2027.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-03-23)
- Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted (2026-03-23)
- Sponsors: Robert Dickey, Steven Meeks, Angie O'Steen, Jaclyn Ford, John Corbett, Gerald Greene, Russ Goodman
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73420

> The history, votes, and amendments (792 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1416.md?full=1