HR 1665: House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review; create

The House Committee on Special Rules offers the following substitute to HR 1665:

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources

(EPD) is charged with the protection of this state's air, land, and water resources; and

WHEREAS, as part of its duties, the EPD regulates public and private facilities in the areas of air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, water supply, solid waste, surface mining, underground storage tanks, and other similar activities, and issues and enforces state permits and variances in such areas; and

WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to study the EPD's procedures relating to granting, denying, revoking, or amending permits or variances, as well as any rights to administrative or judicial review by aggrieved or adversely affected parties, to evaluate whether any action by the state is warranted to ensure efficient and economical operations or to better serve the public welfare.

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

(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review.

(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 of the House of Representatives shall designate all members of the committee and a 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 and funding.

(A) 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.