Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 1894: House Study Committee on the Basic Building Blocks of Transportation; create
Last action March 31, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
A House resolution would create a 12-member study committee to examine why highway construction costs are rising and how Georgia might speed up transportation projects tied to utility relocations and state oversight rules.
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
Georgia's Department of Transportation expects to spend about $63 billion on projects over the next 20 years, and the resolution notes that the cost of materials like asphalt, concrete, and aggregates has risen so much that construction dollars buy less than before. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on the Basic Building Blocks of Transportation to look into these cost increases and related problems. The committee would have 12 House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson. It would study the causes of rising costs, examine how utility relocation schedules affect construction timelines, and review Department of Transportation policies that might be changed to keep projects on time and on budget. Members get standard legislative allowances for up to six meeting days. The committee must file any findings or recommended legislation before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates the House Study Committee on the Basic Building Blocks of Transportation, made up of 12 House members appointed by the Speaker.
- Directs the committee to study rising costs of highway construction materials like asphalt, concrete, sand, gravel, and crushed stone.
- Requires the committee to examine how utility relocation schedules affect the time needed to complete highway construction projects.
- Allows the committee to recommend legislation or policy changes affecting Department of Transportation oversight and operations.
- Sets legislative member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to six meeting days and limits overall funding to House-appropriated funds.
- Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026, after it files a report or meeting minutes.
Who it affects
This mainly affects members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, the Department of Transportation, highway construction contractors, and utility companies whose infrastructure relocation work intersects with road projects. Georgia taxpayers and drivers who rely on state, county, and city roads are indirectly affected.
Why it matters
If the committee's study leads to future legislation, it could change how the Department of Transportation manages contracts, schedules utility relocations, or budgets for materials, potentially affecting how quickly and cheaply Georgia's roads get built and maintained.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) formally creates the House Study Committee on the Basic Building Blocks of Transportation.
- Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at 12 House members chosen by the Speaker, who also appoints the chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) gives the committee power to study transportation cost issues and recommend action or legislation.
- Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, caps paid days at six unless extended, and specifies funding sources.
- 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
“the costs of these building blocks have escalated, such that in every project, large and small, urban, suburban, and rural, the dollar doesn't go as far”
“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.”
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 Transportation Committee, March 31, 2026
From 0:20:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair explained that HR 1894 would combine two study committee proposals: one examining road construction materials and costs, and another examining rights of way and utility issues. Referring to an earlier transportation presentation, the chair said basic road construction material costs had risen 40 percent, well above inflation. The chair said the study would examine why costs had increased and whether anything could be done. A member involved in the utility proposal said Georgia expected to invest more than $7 billion over the next year and pointed to work along State Route 400 as an example of projects requiring utility relocation. That member said constituents reported delays and that discussions with transportation, Department of Transportation and utility groups showed a need for further study. The chair said the resolution could reach the Rules Committee Thursday morning before the session ended. Members voted in favor by voice vote, with no opposition heard, and the chair moved on.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
From 0:49:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member requested action on HR 1894, describing a proposed study committee on construction cost inflation, right-of-way and utility issues, and highway contractors. No vote was shown.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)
- Lauren McDonald III (R, HD-26)
- Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
- John LaHood (R, HD-175)
- Brent Cox (R, HD-28)
Topics
- transportation funding
- highway construction
- state study committees
- Department of Transportation