HR 1860: House Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities; create

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-03-31House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-27House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-25House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-23House Hopper (House)

• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)Primary sponsor
• Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)
• William Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)

• disability services
• Medicaid waivers
• special education
• caregiver support
• long-term care planning