HR 1656: House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success; create

Some Georgia families earn too much to qualify for free or reduced price school meals but still struggle to pay for them, and lawmakers say more study is needed on the scope of student food insecurity and the cost of expanding meal access. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success to look into these issues. The committee would have seven House members appointed by the Speaker, plus seven nonlegislative members with backgrounds in school nutrition, public health, agriculture, education, and economics. It would study food insecurity, universal school meal proposals, and school procurement partnerships with Georgia farmers, and could recommend legislation. Members would receive standard state travel and expense allowances, capped at five days unless extended. The committee must file any report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success.
• Directs the Speaker of the House to appoint seven legislative members and seven nonlegislative members with specific expertise, including school nutrition, agriculture, and economics.
• Charges the committee with studying student food insecurity, universal school meal programs, and farm-to-school procurement partnerships.
• Sets standard state reimbursement rates for committee members' expenses, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized.
• Requires any committee report or recommended legislation to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

Georgia House members appointed to the committee, Department of Education school nutrition officials, public health experts, school nutrition directors, farm-to-school and agriculture representatives, and families and students affected by school meal policy and food insecurity.

If enacted, the study could shape future legislation on school meal costs, food insecurity, and support for Georgia farmers who supply school cafeterias, though the resolution itself only creates a committee to study these issues rather than changing meal policy directly.

• Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success.
• Paragraph 2 sets committee membership at seven House members plus seven nonlegislative members representing school nutrition, public health, agriculture, school nutrition directors, nonprofits, education, and economics.
• Paragraph 3 directs the committee to study food insecurity and related issues and recommend legislation, and also references studying postsecondary offerings in prisons.
• Paragraph 5 sets member expense allowances under O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21, capped at five days absent additional authorization.
• Paragraph 6 requires any approved report or recommended legislation to be filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-16House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-12House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-10House Hopper (House)

• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)Primary sponsor
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)

• school meals
• food insecurity
• Georgia agriculture
• education policy
• farm-to-school