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

House Resolution 1656

By: Representatives Barnes of the 86th, Erwin of the 32nd, Ballard of the 147th, Hugley of the 141st, Park of the 107th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, food insecurity among children remains a significant challenge in Georgia, affecting students' ability to learn, concentrate, and succeed academically; and

WHEREAS, research consistently shows that access to nutritious meals improves student literacy, attendance, cognitive development, and long-term educational outcomes; and

WHEREAS, many families in Georgia fall into a gap where they earn too much to qualify for free or reduced price meals but still struggle to afford school meals for their children; and

WHEREAS, eliminating barriers to school meals may help reduce stigma, increase participation, and ensure that every child begins the school day ready to learn; and

WHEREAS, several states have implemented universal school meal programs and have reported positive outcomes related to student health, academic performance, and school climate; and

WHEREAS, Georgia farmers and agricultural producers could benefit from stronger procurement partnerships with schools, strengthening the farm-to-school pipeline and supporting the state's agricultural economy; and

WHEREAS, expanding access to school meals may produce broader economic benefits by supporting Georgia agriculture, reducing administrative costs for school districts, and strengthening the long-term workforce pipeline by improving child health and education outcomes; and

WHEREAS, additional study is necessary to fully understand the extent of student food insecurity in Georgia and the fiscal implications of providing universal access to school meals.

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

(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on School Nutrition, Student Food Security, Georgia Agriculture, and Student Success.

(2) Members and officers.

(A) The committee shall be composed of seven members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(B) The Speaker shall also appoint seven additional nonlegislative members of the committee as follows:

(i) A representative from the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Division;

(ii) A member with expertise in public health;

(iii) A representative of Georgia's agriculture industry or a farm-to-school organization in Georgia;

(iv) A school nutrition director;

(v) A representative of a nonprofit organization that does work or research relevant to the work of the committee;

(vi) A member with expertise in education or literacy; and

(vii) A member with expertise in economics or fiscal policy.

(C) The Speaker shall also designate a legislative member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.

(3) Powers and duties.

(A) 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.

(B) The duties of the committee shall also include, but not be limited to:

(i) Examining the state's current postsecondary and transition offerings; and

(ii) Studying the most recent data on postsecondary offerings in prisons and successful models around the country.

(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) 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 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 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.