HR 1831: House Study Committee on Local Government Financial Audits; create

Georgia law requires local governments to audit their finances every year or every two years and report the results to the state auditor. This resolution notes that many local governments are not meeting that requirement, either missing deadlines or not filing at all, which can hide financial trouble from state oversight. The resolution creates the House Study Committee on Local Government Financial Audits, made up of seven House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson. The committee would study why local governments struggle with audit compliance and their underlying financial conditions, then recommend legislation or other action. It can hold meetings as needed, members get standard legislative allowances for up to five days, and funding comes from the House budget. Any final report or recommendations must be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee's abolishment date.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Local Government Financial Audits made up of seven House members appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study why local governments fail to complete required financial audits and submit reports on time.
• Authorizes the committee to recommend legislation or other state action to help local governments with audit compliance or financial strain.
• Sets standard legislative meeting allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for members, capped at five days unless more are authorized.
• Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.

The seven House members appointed to the committee, local governments across Georgia that must complete financial audits, and the state auditor's office that receives and reviews those audit reports.

If local governments are not completing required audits, financial problems in cities and counties could go unnoticed by the state. This committee's work could lead to new legislation aimed at improving compliance or catching financial distress earlier, though the resolution itself makes no policy changes yet.

• Paragraph (1) formally creates the House Study Committee on Local Government Financial Audits.
• Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at seven House members appointed by the Speaker, who also designates the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) directs the committee to study local government audit compliance problems and recommend action or legislation.
• Paragraph (5) ties member pay to existing legislative allowance law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) and funds the committee through the House of Representatives' budget.
• Paragraph (6) requires any adopted findings or legislative recommendations to be filed as a signed report with the Clerk of the House before the committee's abolishment date.

1. 2026-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-25House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-23House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-20House Hopper (House)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Primary sponsor
• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Bill Yearta (R, HD-152)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)

• local government finance
• government audits
• state oversight
• study committee