HR 593: House Study Committee on Maternal, Prenatal, and Pediatric Care Access and Funding; create

Georgia currently ranks 49th in the nation for maternal deaths, and this resolution responds by setting up the House Study Committee on Maternal, Prenatal, and Pediatric Care Access and Funding. The Speaker of the House would appoint five representatives to the committee and name one of them chairperson. The committee's job is to study barriers to maternal, prenatal, and pediatric health care in Georgia, look at funding differences between regions, identify workforce and infrastructure gaps, and recommend legislation if needed. It must hold at least two meetings in a county with a rural hospital organization (O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1). Members get standard legislative travel and expense allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five days unless more are approved, paid from the House's existing budget. The committee must file any approved report with the Clerk of the House before it is abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Maternal, Prenatal, and Pediatric Care Access and Funding, made up of five House members appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study barriers to maternal, prenatal, and pediatric health care access and explore new funding sources.
• Requires at least two committee meetings to be held in a county with a rural hospital organization, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1.
• Authorizes standard legislative allowances for members, capped at five days unless additional days are approved, funded from the House's existing budget.
• Sets the committee to automatically end (be abolished) on December 1, 2025, after filing any approved report with the Clerk of the House.

Members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, pregnant women and infants who rely on maternal and pediatric care, rural hospitals and healthcare providers, and state agencies that may respond to any resulting legislative recommendations.

The committee could surface specific funding gaps and access problems in maternal and pediatric care, particularly in rural areas, and produce legislative recommendations. Whether any changes happen depends on what the committee finds and whether lawmakers act on its report before it disbands.

• Paragraph 2 sets the committee's size at five House members, all appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
• Paragraph 3 charges the committee with studying access and funding problems in maternal, prenatal, and pediatric care and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph 4 requires at least two meetings in a county with a rural hospital organization as defined in O.C.G.A. § 31-8-9.1.
• Paragraph 5 provides standard legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days absent additional authorization, funded through the House's budget.
• Paragraph 6 lays out reporting rules, requiring majority committee approval before any report can be filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-04-02House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-03-20House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-18House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-13House Hopper (House)

• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)Primary sponsor
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-27)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)

• maternal health
• pediatric care
• rural hospitals
• health care funding
• legislative study committee