HR 1522: House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health; create

House Resolution 1522

By: Representatives Taylor of the 173rd, Efstration of the 104th, Newton of the 127th, Hawkins of the 27th, and Cooper of the 45th

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Georgia's health security and financial well-being depend on a growing, efficiently operated, and adequately funded public health system; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Community Health (DCH) is one of Georgia's four health agencies serving this state's growing population of over ten million people; and

WHEREAS, DCH serves as the lead agency for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids, and also oversees the State Health Benefit Plan, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division, and State Office of Rural Health, impacting one in four Georgians; and

WHEREAS, DCH maintains six enterprise offices, with employees based in Atlanta, Cordele, and across this state; and

WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to study the structure of Georgia's community health system and to evaluate DCH's current operations, functions, services, and funding, with an emphasis on Medicaid and any other health coverage and medical assistance programs administered by DCH; staffing needs; and whether any action by the state is warranted.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health.

(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.

(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 chairperson 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 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) The allowances 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 House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the reimbursement of the expenses of 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 chairperson 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 chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved 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 chairperson of the committee and filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.

(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.