---
title: HR 1528. Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1528
cite_as: HR 1528, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1528
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1528.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1528/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73785
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
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: 132
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1528.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1528
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Viola Davis
  - Kim Schofield
  - Sandra Scott
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1528/2025
upstream_id: 2128609
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - higher education funding
  - University System of Georgia
  - legislative study committee
  - state audits
---

# HR 1528. Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship; create

## Text

House Resolution 1528
By: Representatives Davis of the 87th, Schofield of the 63rd, and Scott of the 76th
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS, the University System of Georgia serves students, families, and taxpayers
throughout Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Regents exercises control and management over the university
system and the use of funds appropriated for the university system by the General Assembly;
and
WHEREAS, the Department of Audits and Accounts conducts an annual audit of the
university system and compiles other information relating to the university system; and
WHEREAS, it would be beneficial for this body to review the audit reports and other
information in order to evaluate trends and risk areas and make recommendations for any
needed improvements.
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
Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship.
(2) Members and officers.
(A) The committee shall be composed of ten members.
(B) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint five members of the
House of Representatives as members of the committee and shall designate one of such
members as cochairperson.
(C) The President of the Senate shall appoint five members of the Senate as members
of the committee and shall designate one of such members as cochairperson.
(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) 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 House of Representatives and Senate; 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 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 cochairpersons of the committee and filed
with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the cochairpersons may file with the Clerk
of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate copies of the minutes
of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.

## 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 would create a joint legislative committee to study financial oversight of the University System of Georgia, drawing on annual state audit reports.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution sets up a temporary Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship, made up of five House members and five Senate members with one cochair from each chamber. The committee's job is to review the University System of Georgia's finances, including the annual audits done by the Department of Audits and Accounts, and to look for financial trends, risk areas, and possible improvements.
The committee can meet as often as its cochairs decide, and legislative members get standard daily allowances under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five meeting days unless more are approved. If the committee reaches agreement on findings or recommended legislation, it must file a report before being dissolved. If it cannot agree on a report, the cochairs can instead file copies of meeting minutes. The committee is set to be abolished on December 1, 2026.

### What it does

- Creates a ten-member Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship with five members each from the House and Senate.
- Directs the committee to study the University System of Georgia's financial conditions, needs, and risk areas using audit reports and related information.
- Allows the committee to recommend legislation or other action based on its findings.
- Sets standard legislative per diem allowances for members, capped at five paid meeting days unless additional days are authorized.
- Requires a report to the General Assembly if the committee approves findings, or meeting minutes if it does not.
- Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

### Who it affects

Members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate appointed to the committee, the University System of Georgia and its Board of Regents, and the Department of Audits and Accounts, which produces the audit reports the committee would review.

### Why it matters

The resolution does not change any law or funding on its own, but it sets up a formal process for lawmakers to examine how university system money is managed and to propose changes, which could shape future legislation affecting the state's public colleges and universities.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) creates the Joint Study Committee on Higher Education Fiscal Stewardship.
- Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at ten legislators, five appointed by the Speaker and five by the Senate President, each side naming a cochair.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying university system fiscal issues and recommending legislation if needed.
- Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and limits paid days to five unless more are authorized, funded through legislative appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires a report with any recommendations, approved by majority vote, filed with the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Viola Davis, Kim Schofield, Sandra Scott
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73785

> The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1528.md?full=1