HR 1583: House Study Committee on Small Business Technology Adoption; create

House Resolution 1583

By: Representatives Gullett of the 19th, Cheokas of the 151st, and Jones of the 25th

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on Small Business Technology Adoption; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Georgia's economy is highly dependent on small businesses for the creation of jobs, economic growth, prosperity, and the provision of goods and services; and

WHEREAS, small businesses in this state would benefit from adopting technologies such as enterprise software, artificial intelligence, electronic invoicing (e-invoicing), and other tools to lower costs and improve performance; and

WHEREAS, the State of Georgia through its university system, technical colleges, K-12 systems, professional licensing entities, and economic development agencies can play an integral role in giving small businesses the training, professional certifications, and other tools needed to benefit from technological advancements; and

WHEREAS, Georgia's tax laws should also be reviewed to ensure they appropriately enable small businesses to make investments in technology; and

WHEREAS, a study would be beneficial to examine how public policy can play a vital role in encouraging continued adoption of cutting-edge technologies by small businesses in Georgia.

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

(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on Small Business Technology Adoption.

(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 as follows:

(A) The chairperson of the House Committee on Small Business Development, who shall serve as chairperson;

(B) Two members of the majority party in the House of Representatives; and

(C) Two members of the minority party in the House of Representatives.

(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.

(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.