---
title: HR 257. House Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr257
cite_as: HR 257, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr257
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr257.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr257/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70335
date: 2025-02-19
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr257.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 257
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-02-13
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Carolyn Hugley
  - Samuel Park
  - Tanya Miller
  - Spencer Frye
  - Kimberly Alexander
  - Al Williams
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR257/2025
upstream_id: 1970379
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - federal funding oversight
  - legislative investigations
  - government accountability
  - state budget transparency
---

# HR 257. House Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds; create

## Text

House Resolution 257
By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Park of the 107th, Miller of the 62nd, Frye of the
122nd, Alexander of the 66th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Creating and authorizing the House Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds; to
provide for the issuance of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses or the
production of documents and materials; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, the use of federal funds as well as compliance with federally required auditing
procedures merits close scrutiny and oversight; and
WHEREAS, it is important to collect information from other branches of government,
including subpoena and compelled testimony, relating to the use of federal funds and
auditing procedures; and
WHEREAS, a complete list of all federal funds received by the state, including the amount,
purpose, source, recipients of such funds, criteria for distribution of such funds, and funds
not expended and the reasons why, should be compiled and should include:
(1) A copy of the initial Notice of Grant Award from the federal government to this state
for the prior three years;
(2) A list of accounts and project ledger names for the recording of expenditures by project
detail, the identity of the accounting system used to track costs, and a list of reports used
to track costs by project;
(3) The most recent copy of financial statements, balance sheet of funds, income received
for funds, and any and all balance sheets related to funds; and
(4) Budget comparisons with actual expenditures on a monthly basis precluding drawdown
of federal funds in excess of total funds authorized on the Notice of Grant Award, total
funds available for any cost category, either restricted or nonrestricted, on the Notice of
Grant Award; and
WHEREAS, reports on the progress of programs funded with federal dollars, including
performance data and outcome measures, should be issued on a regular basis, to include:
(1) A listing of accounting entries with evidence to support the entry. A listing of
personnel and their responsibilities for receipt, payment, distribution, and recording of
federal funds;
(2) A listing of all established tracking expenditure policies and procedures against budget
or the funding amounts. If tracked, provide documentation to suffice for the monitoring
of tracked funds received and distributed; and
(3) A list of personnel responsible for tracking and monitoring federal funds and projects,
including dollar amounts; and
WHEREAS, a complete list of all relevant federal guidelines, regulations, and funding
agreements, as well as any waivers or exemptions granted from federal requirements, would
be of great value; and
WHEREAS, information on any audits or evaluations conducted on the use of federal funds,
including findings and recommendations, and information on any instances of misuse or
misappropriation of federal funds, including any investigations and corrective actions taken,
should be made available; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly, of which the House of Representatives is a part, has "the
power to make all laws not inconsistent with this Constitution, and not repugnant to the
Constitution of the United States, which it shall deem necessary and proper for the welfare
of the state" according to Article III, Section VI, Paragraph I of the Georgia Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Supreme Court, in Dean v. Bolton, 235 Ga. 544, held that
constitutional separation of powers does not prohibit the legislative branch from investigating
the official conduct of any person performing duties in any branch of the government; and
WHEREAS, the House of Representatives has the inherent power and authority to conduct
investigations into any matter relevant to the administration of existing laws, proposals for
new or amended laws, the expenditure of public funds, the conduct of public officers who
discharge powers and duties under state law, and any other matter germane to its role as part
of the legislative branch of state government; and
WHEREAS, such inherent powers also include the authority to create special committees for
the purpose of conducting investigations and to endow such committees with all the inherent
powers of investigation possessed by the House of Representatives, including the power to
compel the appearance and testimony of witnesses and the production of records and the
power to place witnesses under oath or affirmation; and
WHEREAS, in addition to such inherent powers, Code Sections 45-15-17 and 45-15-19
empower the General Assembly to make investigations into the affairs of the state and further
authorize compelling the appearance and testimony of witnesses and the production of
records and grants, the power to place witnesses under oath or affirmation, and the
enforcement of subpoenas issued pursuant thereto; and
WHEREAS, Article III, Section IV, Paragraph IV of the Georgia Constitution provides for
the creation of interim committees pursuant to the authority of the General Assembly or of
either house.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Delegation of authority and creation and authorization of the house special
committee. The House of Representatives hereby delegates its powers to the House
Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds, which is created and authorized.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of nine members to be
appointed as follows:
(A) A chairperson who shall be a member of the House of Representatives appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(B) Four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House Majority
Leader; and
(C) Four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House Minority
Leader.
(3) Powers and duties. The committee is hereby authorized to undertake a legislative
investigation into the issues mentioned above or related thereto. For the purpose of
conducting any investigation as provided herein, the committee shall have the power to
administer oaths; to call any party to testify under oath at such investigations; to require
the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, records, and papers; and to take
the depositions of witnesses. For such purposes, the committee is authorized to issue
subpoenas for any witness or to compel the production of any books, records, or papers
and is further authorized to undertake such actions as may be necessary to enforce such
subpoenas in cases of refusal to obey. The committee may establish rules of operation;
provided, however, the committee may not establish rules that authorize one member to
issue subpoenas without the consent of the committee as demonstrated by a majority vote
at a meeting where a quorum is present or without the express, written consent of the
chairperson of the committee.
(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee
may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or
convenient, including at any time during the interim period occurring following the
House of Representatives adjourning sine die, to enable it to exercise fully and effectively
its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this
resolution.
(5) Allowances and Funding.
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds
appropriated to the House of Representatives.
(6) Report.
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that
include suggestions for proposed legislation or changes in appropriations, the
chairperson shall file a report of the same, subject to subparagraph (C) of this
paragraph.
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for
proposed legislation or changes in appropriations, the chairperson shall file the report,
subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved by majority vote of a
quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of
the committee and filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the
House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu
thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 15, 2026.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House resolution would create a nine-member special committee with subpoena power to investigate how the state receives, tracks, and spends federal grant money.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution sets up the House Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds, a temporary panel of nine state representatives tasked with digging into how Georgia handles federal grant dollars. The committee would be able to demand records like Notices of Grant Award, account ledgers, financial statements, and budget comparisons, and it could compel testimony from witnesses under oath about how federal funds are tracked, spent, and audited.
The chairperson would be picked by the Speaker of the House, with four members named by the Majority Leader and four by the Minority Leader. The committee could subpoena witnesses and documents, hold hearings during the legislative interim, and would receive standard legislative per diem for up to five meeting days unless more are approved. It must file any findings with the Clerk of the House, and the committee automatically ends on December 15, 2026.

### What it does

- Creates a nine member House Special Committee on Oversight of Federal Funds, with members appointed by House leadership.
- Gives the committee power to issue subpoenas, put witnesses under oath, and compel production of financial records related to federal funds.
- Directs the committee to examine detailed federal grant data, including award notices, account ledgers, financial statements, and audit findings.
- Sets committee meeting and reporting rules, including a requirement that subpoenas need committee or chairperson approval.
- Provides standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. Section 28-1-8) for up to five meeting days, funded through the House's existing budget.
- Abolishes the committee automatically on December 15, 2026.

### Who it affects

State agencies and officials that receive or administer federal grant funds, House members appointed to the committee, and any witnesses who could be subpoenaed to testify or produce records about how federal money is tracked, spent, and audited in Georgia.

### Why it matters

If created, the committee could pull detailed financial records and compel sworn testimony from state officials about federal grant spending, giving lawmakers a formal, subpoena-backed way to scrutinize how federal dollars are managed and whether any funds were misused.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph 1 delegates House authority to create the special committee and formally authorizes it.
- Paragraph 2 sets committee composition: a chairperson named by the Speaker, four members named by the Majority Leader, and four by the Minority Leader.
- Paragraph 3 grants the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and documents, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas, while requiring committee or chairperson consent before a subpoena is issued.
- Paragraph 4 allows meetings at any time, including during the legislative interim after the House adjourns for the year.
- Paragraph 5 sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. Section 28-1-8, capped at five days unless extended, funded from the House's existing appropriation.
- Paragraph 6 requires any adopted findings or reports to be approved by majority vote and filed with the Clerk of the House.
- Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 15, 2026.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-13)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-19)
- Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Samuel Park, Tanya Miller, Spencer Frye, Kimberly Alexander, Al Williams
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70335

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr257.md?full=1