---
title: HR 1655. House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1655
cite_as: HR 1655, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1655
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1655.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1655/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74017
date: 2026-03-18
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: 189
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1655.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1655
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-10
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported
sponsors:
  - Lee Hawkins
  - Danny Mathis
  - Gerald Greene
  - Darlene Taylor
  - Michelle Au
  - Karlton Howard
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1655/2025
upstream_id: 2132148
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - diabetes
  - public health
  - amputation prevention
  - health care access
  - legislative study committees
---

# HR 1655. House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations; create

## Text

House Resolution 1655
By: Representatives Hawkins of the 27th, Mathis of the 133rd, Greene of the 154th, Taylor of
the 173rd, and Au of the 50th
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS, diabetes related amputations represent a significant and growing public health
challenge, disproportionately impacting underserved and rural communities; and
WHEREAS, many diabetes related amputations are preventable through early intervention,
improved access to care, coordinated clinical pathways, and increased public awareness; and
WHEREAS, Georgia continues to experience high rates of diabetes, peripheral artery
disease, and diabetic foot complications, placing thousands of residents at risk of avoidable
limb loss each year; and
WHEREAS, a data-driven assessment is necessary to identify gaps in care, regional
disparities, and opportunities to improve outcomes for Georgians living with diabetes; and
WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to undertake a study to evaluate diabetes related
amputations to:
(1) Analyze state-wide and regional data on diabetes related amputations, including
demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic trends;
(2) Evaluate existing prevention strategies, access to care, and care coordination
practices related to diabetic foot complications and peripheral artery disease;
(3) Identify best clinical practices and models of care shown to reduce amputations;
(4) Assess barriers to early diagnosis, treatment, and limb preservation services;
(5) Engage with interdisciplinary stakeholders, including endocrinologists, podiatrists,
vascular specialists, primary care providers, diabetes educators, public health experts, and
individuals with lived experience;
(6) Develop recommendations to improve patient outcomes, increase public awareness,
enhance provider education, and strengthen care delivery systems; and
(7) Propose policy considerations related to insurance coverage, equitable access to
treatment, and incentives for quality care.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee
on Diabetes Related Amputations.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of 13 members to be
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Six members of the
committee shall be members of the House of Representatives. The additional seven
members of the committee shall be as follows: two individuals representing Georgia's
medical or public health schools; one endocrinologist; one member of the Department of
Community Health or its board; one individual from Georgia's federally qualified health
centers; and two diabetes patients. 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
shall hold no more than four such meetings and 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) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,
or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the
committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the
performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they
are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.
(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state
employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that
specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state
employees.
(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than four 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.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the final report from the House Study Committee on
Diabetes Related Amputations shall be made publicly available to promote transparency and
inform future legislative and regulatory action aimed at reducing preventable amputations
and improving diabetes care across Georgia.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution is intended to establish a data-driven
foundation for improving diabetes outcomes and preventing avoidable limb loss for
Georgians state wide.

## 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 13-member study committee to examine diabetes related amputations in Georgia and recommend ways to prevent avoidable limb loss.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia has high rates of diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and diabetic foot complications, which can lead to preventable amputations, especially in underserved and rural communities. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations to look into why this is happening and what can be done about it.
The committee would have 13 members appointed by the Speaker of the House: six state representatives and seven others including medical school representatives, an endocrinologist, a Department of Community Health representative, a federally qualified health center representative, and two diabetes patients. The committee can meet up to four times, must study care gaps and prevention strategies, and can recommend legislation. It must file a report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026, and that report must be made public.

### What it does

- Creates a 13-member House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations appointed by the Speaker of the House.
- Directs the committee to analyze statewide data on diabetes related amputations and evaluate prevention strategies and care coordination.
- Allows the committee to meet no more than four times and requires it to be disbanded on December 1, 2026.
- Sets per-day expense allowances for committee members under existing state law (O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21) rather than creating new pay.
- Requires any approved committee report, including proposed legislation, to be filed with the Clerk of the House and made publicly available.

### Who it affects

Georgia state representatives appointed to the committee, medical and public health school representatives, endocrinologists, staff of the Department of Community Health, federally qualified health centers, and diabetes patients invited to serve, as well as Georgians affected by diabetes-related limb loss more broadly.

### Why it matters

The committee's findings could shape future legislation on diabetes care, insurance coverage, and access to treatment aimed at preventing amputations. For now, the resolution itself creates no new rights, funding programs, or requirements beyond studying the issue and reporting back.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Diabetes Related Amputations.
- Paragraph (2) sets membership at 13: six House members plus seven specified non-legislator members, with the Speaker naming the chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying the issue and recommending action or legislation it deems necessary.
- Paragraph (4) limits the committee to no more than four meetings, called by the chairperson.
- Paragraph (5) sets expense allowances for legislative members, state officials, state employees, and other members, capped at four days of allowances unless extended.
- Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings or report to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
- A further resolved clause requires the final report to be made publicly available.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-03-10)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-18)
- Sponsors: Lee Hawkins, Danny Mathis, Gerald Greene, Darlene Taylor, Michelle Au, Karlton Howard
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74017

> The history, votes, and amendments (189 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1655.md?full=1