Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 1860: House Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities; create
Last action March 31, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
A Georgia House resolution would create a five-member study committee to examine services, waiting lists, and long-term care options for Georgians with disabilities and their families.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution sets up the House Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities. It does not change any law itself; instead it directs five House members, appointed by the Speaker, to study how well Georgia's disability programs work and report back with findings or proposed legislation. The committee is asked to look at a wide range of issues: administrative barriers to accessing services, gaps when students transition from school to adulthood, the NOW and COMP Medicaid waiver waiting lists, workforce shortages among direct support professionals, family caregiving burdens, long-term planning tools like guardianship and ABLE accounts, and integration of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. Members get standard legislative allowances for up to five meeting days, paid from House funds. The committee must file any approved report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates a five-member House Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities, appointed by the Speaker.
- Directs the committee to study access barriers, Medicaid waiver waiting lists, workforce shortages, and school transition gaps for people with disabilities.
- Authorizes the committee to hold meetings and recommend legislation, with the chairperson responsible for calling meetings and filing any final report.
- Provides legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. 28-1-8 for up to five meeting days, funded from the House of Representatives' budget.
- Sets an abolishment date of December 1, 2026, by which any approved report must be filed with the Clerk of the House.
Who it affects
People with disabilities and their families who use Georgia's disability services, the five House members appointed to the committee, and state agencies including the Department of Education, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.
Why it matters
The committee itself changes no benefits or programs, but its findings could shape future legislation on Medicaid waiver waiting lists, school transition support, direct support worker shortages, and long-term care planning, areas families of people with disabilities have described as difficult to navigate.
Key provisions
- Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities.
- Paragraph 2 sets committee membership at five House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
- Paragraph 3 lists ten study topics (A through J), including Medicaid waiver capacity, workforce shortages, family caregiver support, and long-term planning tools like guardianship and special needs trusts.
- Paragraph 5 authorizes standard legislative allowances for up to five meeting days, funded through the House of Representatives.
- Paragraph 6 requires any approved findings or legislative recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
- Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
From the bill
“persons with disabilities and their families report difficulty identifying and accessing all of the programs and services for which they may be eligible, including challenges related to fragmented systems, lack of centralized information, and inconsistent guidance”
“The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Special Rules Committee, March 31, 2026
From 0:32:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 1860 would create a five-member study committee, appointed by the House speaker, to examine how Georgia could improve services for children and adults with disabilities. Drawing on the sponsor’s family experience, the sponsor described applications, medical documentation and other requirements as difficult and time-consuming to navigate, even with substantial education and resources. The sponsor stressed that the proposal was not a criticism of current agencies, but an effort to make access to services simpler and delivery more efficient, especially for families with fewer resources. The committee approved the resolution without further discussion and sent it to Rules, with no opposition recorded.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
From 0:28:10 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 1860 would examine how Georgia delivers services to people with special needs. The sponsor described having to submit a large binder of paperwork every two years to secure Medicaid for a child and expressed concern about families facing language barriers or navigating the process with fewer resources. The sponsor framed the study as an effort to improve services. No questions or further action were shown.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Scott Hilton (R, HD-48)
- Katie Dempsey (R, HD-13)
- Deborah Silcox (R, HD-53)
- Bill Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
- Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
- Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-34)
Topics
- disability services
- Medicaid waivers
- special education
- caregiver support
- long-term care planning