HR 1749: House Study Committee on the Impact of Multiplayer Online Gaming Platforms; create

This resolution does not change any law by itself. Instead, it creates the House Study Committee on the Impact of Multiplayer Online Gaming Platforms, a temporary panel of five state representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The committee's job is to look into how online multiplayer games and the communication features built into them affect children, including exposure to graphic content, contact with strangers, and privacy and safety risks. The committee can hold meetings, gather information, and eventually recommend legislation if members think it is needed. Members get standard legislative daily allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to four meeting days, paid from the House's existing budget. Any findings or recommended legislation must be approved by a majority of a quorum and filed with the Clerk of the House. The committee automatically ends on December 1, 2026.

• Creates a temporary House Study Committee on the Impact of Multiplayer Online Gaming Platforms made up of five representatives chosen by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study how online multiplayer gaming platforms affect children, including privacy, safety, and content-access risks.
• Authorizes the committee to recommend future legislation or regulatory changes based on its findings.
• Allows committee members to receive standard legislative per diem and travel allowances for up to four meeting days, funded through the House's budget.
• Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
• Sets December 1, 2026 as the date the committee automatically dissolves.

The five House members appointed to serve on the committee, children who use multiplayer online gaming platforms, and the video game and technology companies that operate those platforms, since the committee's eventual recommendations could target their practices.

No rules for gaming platforms or protections for children change right away. The practical effect is that state lawmakers would spend time examining the issue and could later propose legislation on online safety, content access, or privacy protections for children based on what the committee finds.

• Paragraph (1) formally creates the House Study Committee on the Impact of Multiplayer Online Gaming Platforms.
• Paragraph (2) sets committee size at five House members, appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) gives the committee authority to study the issues described in the resolution and recommend action or legislation.
• Paragraph (5) ties member pay to existing legislative allowance law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) and caps paid days at four unless more are authorized.
• Paragraph (6) lays out reporting rules, requiring majority approval of any findings before they can be filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-20House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-19House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-18House Hopper (House)

• Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)Primary sponsor
• Holt Persinger (R, HD-119)
• Kimberly New (R, HD-040)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• Todd Jones (R, HD-025)

• online gaming
• child safety
• internet privacy
• legislative study committees
• technology regulation