Georgia CommonsHR 1608: House Study Committee on Municipal Electric Franchise Fees; create
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 18, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
House Resolution 1608
By: Representatives Scoggins of the 14th, Cannon of the 172nd, McDonald III of the 26th, Kelley of the 16th, Gullett of the 19th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on Municipal Electric Franchise Fees; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, municipalities alone are allowed to contract with electric light and power companies to receive franchise fees for the use of municipal electric infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, residents of the unincorporated portions of counties are paying for the franchise fees the municipalities are receiving through such franchise fee contracts; and
WHEREAS, this arrangement is based on outdated ideas about county and municipal ownership of property; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative that county residents not be forced to subsidize municipalities and a solution be reached that better represents each party's contributions to the electric grid.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on Municipal Electric Franchise Fees.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall comprise five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives with one of such number designated 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, 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 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 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.