---
title: HR 1748. House Study Committee on Local Governmental Professional Contracting; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1748
cite_as: HR 1748, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1748
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1748.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1748/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74189
date: 2026-03-25
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: 199
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1748.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1748
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-18
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
  - Rob Clifton
  - Holt Persinger
  - Matthew Gambill
  - Tim Fleming
  - Chris Erwin
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1748/2025
upstream_id: 2135862
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - government contracting
  - local government
  - architecture and design
  - legislative study committees
---

# HR 1748. House Study Committee on Local Governmental Professional Contracting; create

## Text

The House Committee on Special Rules offers the following substitute to HR 1748:
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on Local Governmental Professional Contracting; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS, states are required to hire design teams for construction projects; and
WHEREAS, design teams have considerable freedom in how they approach the design
process; and
WHEREAS, it is important to balance the interests of designing and building structures by
ensuring clear architectural and design documentation; and
WHEREAS, more study is required to evaluate the use of certain design criteria in this state.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee
on Local Governmental Professional Contracting.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall comprise five members of the House
of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives with
one of such number designated 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
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) 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.

## 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 five-member study committee to examine how local governments hire architects and design teams for construction projects, with a report due by December 1, 2026.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution sets up the House Study Committee on Local Governmental Professional Contracting. The preamble notes that governments must hire design teams for construction projects, that these teams have considerable freedom in how they approach design work, and that lawmakers want to balance builders' and designers' interests through clearer architectural and design documentation.
The committee would have five House members appointed by the Speaker, one serving as chairperson. It can meet as needed, study issues related to local government contracting for design professionals, and recommend legislation. Members get standard legislative per diem and travel allowances for up to four meeting days unless more are approved, funded through the House's budget. The committee must file any approved findings or a copy of its meeting minutes before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

### What it does

- Creates a temporary House study committee of five representatives, appointed by the Speaker, to examine local government contracting with design professionals.
- Directs the committee to study issues around professional design contracts and recommend any legislation it finds necessary.
- Sets member pay and travel reimbursement under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at four meeting days unless additional days are approved.
- Requires a report or, if none is approved, meeting minutes to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
- Automatically abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

### Who it affects

House members appointed to the committee, local governments that hire architects and design firms for construction projects, and design professionals such as architects and engineers who work on publicly funded buildings in Georgia.

### Why it matters

The resolution itself makes no changes to contracting law; it only sets up a group of lawmakers to study the issue and possibly propose legislation later. Any real effect on how local governments hire design teams would depend on what the committee recommends and whether the General Assembly later acts on it.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Local Governmental Professional Contracting.
- Paragraph (2) sets membership at five House members appointed by the Speaker, with one designated chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying local government professional design contracting and recommending legislation.
- Paragraph (5) sets per diem and expense allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, limited to four days unless extended, funded from House appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires filing an approved report or, absent one, meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-03-18)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Rob Clifton, Holt Persinger, Matthew Gambill, Tim Fleming, Chris Erwin
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74189

> The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1748.md?full=1