HR 1747: House Study Committee on Restoring Georgia's Salt-Water Ecosystems; create

Georgia's coast includes hundreds of thousands of acres of estuaries and salt marsh and supports a large fishing industry, but the resolution notes that some fish stocks are currently overfished. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Restoring Georgia's Salt-Water Ecosystems to look into the problem. The Speaker of the House would appoint seven House members to the committee and name one as chairperson. The committee could hold meetings as needed, study the issues, and recommend legislation or other action. Members would get standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five meeting days unless more are approved, paid from the House's existing budget. Any findings would have to be approved by a majority of a quorum and filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates a new seven-member House Study Committee on Restoring Georgia's Salt-Water Ecosystems.
• Directs the Speaker of the House to appoint all seven members and designate one as chairperson.
• Authorizes the committee to study coastal fish stock declines and recommend legislation or other state action.
• Sets standard legislative per diem allowances for members, capped at five days unless additional days are approved.
• Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

Members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, coastal fishing communities and the commercial and recreational fishing industry in Georgia's 11 coastal counties, and state agencies that might act on any legislation the committee recommends.

If fish stocks along Georgia's coast remain overfished, the state's fishing industry and coastal ecosystems could face long-term strain. This committee would give lawmakers a formal way to study the problem and propose fixes, though it creates no new rules or funding on its own.

• Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Restoring Georgia's Salt-Water Ecosystems.
• Paragraph 2 sets the committee at seven House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
• Paragraph 3 charges the committee with studying salt-water ecosystem conditions and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph 5 caps paid allowances at five meeting days unless more are authorized, funded from the House's existing appropriated funds.
• Paragraph 6 requires any report with legislative recommendations to be approved by majority vote of a quorum and filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-19House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-18House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-16House Hopper (House)

• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)Primary sponsor

• coastal ecosystems
• fishing industry
• fish stocks
• salt marsh conservation
• legislative study committees