--- title: HR 590. House Study Committee on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the Hearing and Visually Impaired; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr590 cite_as: HR 590, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr590 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr590.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr590/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71346 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr589.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr591.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 235 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr590.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 590 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-13 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Robert Dickey - Don Parsons - Charles Martin - Mary Williams - Victor Anderson text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR590/2025 upstream_id: 2006999 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - deaf and hard of hearing services - visually impaired services - telecommunications relay service - legislative study committee - disability accessibility --- # HR 590. House Study Committee on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the Hearing and Visually Impaired; create ## Text 25 LC 55 9005 House Resolution 590 By: Representatives Dickey of the 134th, Parsons of the 44th, Martin of the 49th, Williams of the 37th, and Anderson of the 10th A RESOLUTION Creating the House Study Committee on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the1 Hearing and Visually Impaired; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the Public Service Commission, by an Act of the General Assembly, approved3 April 11, 1990 (Ga. L. 1990, p. 1118), was directed to establish, implement, administer, and4 promote a state-wide single provider dual party relay service; and5 WHEREAS, further Acts of the General Assembly directed the Public Service Commission6 to provide an audible universal information access service, telecommunications equipment7 distribution program, and other hearing technology; and8 WHEREAS, the dual party relay service and other such programs have benefitted the deaf9 and hard of hearing community and the blind community in Georgia for decades; and10 WHEREAS, the advent of newer technology over the past 35 years has resulted in a11 significant reduction in the usage of the dual party relay service in particular; and12 W H E R E A S , t h e G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y , i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f f i s c a l r e s p o nsibility and good13 governance, seeks the guidance of the deaf and hard of hearing community and the blind14 H. R. 590 - 1 - 25 LC 55 9005 community, as well as other stakeholders and concerned citizens , to determine whether15 legislation is needed to address the current and future need of such service and programs as16 well as the assistance needs of Georgians with auditory, speech, or visual impairments.17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:18 (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee19 on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the Hearing and Visually Impaired.20 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the21 House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of22 Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson23 of the committee.24 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,25 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or26 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.27 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee28 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or29 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and30 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.31 (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive32 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia33 Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any34 member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized.35 Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds36 appropriated to the House of Representatives.37 (6) Report.38 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that39 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the40 H. R. 590 - 2 - 25 LC 55 9005 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to41 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.42 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for43 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)44 of this paragraph.45 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of46 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.47 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with48 the Clerk of the House of Representatives.49 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the50 House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu51 thereof.52 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.53 H. R. 590 - 3 - ## 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 study committee to examine telecommunications services and programs for deaf, hard of hearing, and blind Georgians, including the state's relay service. ### Plain-language summary Since 1990, the Georgia Public Service Commission has run a dual party relay service and related programs, such as an audible information access service and equipment distribution, to help deaf, hard of hearing, and blind Georgians communicate. Because newer technology has cut usage of the older relay service over the past 35 years, this resolution sets up a House Study Committee on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the Hearing and Visually Impaired. The committee would have five House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson. It would study current programs and needs, hold meetings as needed, and recommend legislation if warranted. Members get standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five days unless more are approved, funded through the House's existing budget. The committee must file any report before it is abolished on December 1, 2025. ### What it does - Creates a five-member House study committee to examine telecommunications services and programs for hearing and visually impaired Georgians. - Directs the Speaker of the House to appoint all five members and designate a chairperson. - Authorizes the committee to study current programs, including the dual party relay service, and recommend legislation if needed. - Sets legislative allowances for members under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless more are authorized, funded by the House's existing appropriations. - Requires any adopted findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends. - Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025. ### Who it affects The resolution affects members of the House of Representatives appointed to the committee, the Public Service Commission, and Georgians who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired who rely on relay services and related communication programs. ### Why it matters If enacted, the study could shape future legislation on how Georgia funds and delivers relay services, equipment distribution, and other communication aids for residents with hearing, speech, or vision impairments as technology reduces reliance on older systems. ### Key provisions - Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Telecommunications Services and Programs for the Hearing and Visually Impaired. - Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at five House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson. - Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying the relevant conditions, needs, and issues and recommending action or legislation. - Paragraph (5) ties member allowances to O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, limits paid days to five absent additional authorization, and funds the committee from House appropriations. - Paragraph (6) requires any report with legislative recommendations to be approved by committee majority vote and filed with the Clerk of the House. - Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-13) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Robert Dickey, Don Parsons, Charles Martin, Mary Williams, Victor Anderson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71346 > The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr590.md?full=1