HR 1473: House Study Committee on Lupus; create

This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Lupus, a temporary panel of the Georgia House of Representatives. The committee would look into how lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease, affects people's health and ability to work, and would examine problems Georgians with lupus face in getting Social Security disability benefits due to delays and denied claims. The committee would have seven members: four state representatives from the House Committee on Health, plus the commissioner of public health (or a designee), a representative from the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness, and a representative from the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America. The Speaker of the House would appoint all members and name the chairperson. The committee can meet as needed, gets limited state funding for member expenses, and must file any findings or recommended legislation before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates a seven-member House Study Committee on Lupus, made up of four legislators and three nonlegislative experts appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study problems Georgians with lupus face, including access to disability benefits, and to recommend legislation if needed.
• Authorizes legislative members to receive standard legislative expense allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, and sets expense rules for other members.
• Limits paid allowances to five meeting days unless additional days are approved.
• Requires any adopted findings or legislative recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

Georgians living with lupus, four members of the Georgia House Committee on Health, the state commissioner of public health, and representatives of the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness and the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, who would serve on the committee.

If created, the committee would give lawmakers a formal way to gather information on lupus and disability benefit delays, potentially leading to future legislation, but it does not itself change any law, benefit, or funding for lupus patients.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Lupus within the Georgia House of Representatives.
• Paragraph (2) sets the committee's composition at seven members: four legislators from the House Committee on Health and three nonlegislative experts, with the Speaker naming the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying lupus-related issues, including disability benefit access, and recommending legislation.
• Paragraph (5) sets expense and mileage allowances for members and caps paid allowance days at five unless extended.
• Paragraph (6) requires committee approval by majority vote before any report or legislative recommendation can be filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-03House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-26House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-25House Hopper (House)

• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)Primary sponsor
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)

• lupus
• disability benefits
• public health
• legislative study committee
• chronic illness