HR 40: House Study Committee on Reinsurance for Essential Industries; create

Georgia businesses, especially small businesses and farms, have faced rising property and casualty insurance costs tied to more frequent severe storms and higher replacement costs, including major agricultural losses from Hurricane Helene. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Reinsurance for Essential Industries to look into these problems. The seven-member committee, made up mostly of state representatives on the House Insurance Committee plus the Commissioner of Insurance and Commissioner of Agriculture (or their designees), will study how public-private partnerships could support special insurance risk pools for essential industries. It will look at funding needs, criteria for identifying essential industries, and which industries would benefit most from lower premiums. The committee can recommend legislation and must file a report before it is abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Reinsurance for Essential Industries, made up of seven members.
• Directs the committee to study public-private partnership options for Georgia's commercial property and casualty reinsurance market.
• Requires the committee to identify funding needs, criteria for essential industries, and industries that would benefit most from premium reductions.
• Allows the committee to recommend legislation or other action based on its findings.
• Sets legislative member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and limits paid allowances to three days unless more are authorized.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025.

Members of the House Committee on Insurance who may be appointed to the study committee, the Commissioner of Insurance and Commissioner of Agriculture or their designees, and more broadly Georgia businesses, farmers, and insurers affected by rising property and casualty insurance costs.

If the committee's work leads to future legislation, it could shape whether Georgia creates public-private insurance risk pools aimed at lowering premiums for essential industries like agriculture, potentially affecting insurance costs for many Georgia businesses after events like Hurricane Helene.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Reinsurance for Essential Industries.
• Paragraph (2) sets membership at seven: five House Insurance Committee members, the Commissioner of Insurance or designee, and the Commissioner of Agriculture or designee, with the Speaker naming the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) directs the committee to study public-private partnership terms for a 'Reinsurance for Essential Industries Program' and identify funding needs and priority industries.
• Paragraph (5) sets member allowances and expense reimbursement rules, funded through House appropriations or members' own agencies.
• Paragraph (6) requires a report to the Clerk of the House if the committee approves findings or recommendations by majority vote.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Third Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
4. 2025-01-28House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-27House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-01-17House Hopper (House)

• Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-78)Primary sponsor
• Noel Williams, Jr. (R, HD-148)
• Scott Holcomb (D, HD-101)
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-57)

1. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 9 excused)

   Uncontested House Resolutions: House Vote #444

• insurance reinsurance
• small business costs
• agriculture disaster recovery
• property and casualty insurance
• legislative study committees