--- title: HR 72. House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr72 cite_as: HR 72, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr72 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr72.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr72/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69586 date: 2025-04-04 status: passed 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/hr71.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr73.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 452 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr72.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 72 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-04 last_action: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute sponsors: - Lee Hawkins - Gerald Greene - Karen Mathiak - Deborah Silcox - Katie Dempsey text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR72/2025 upstream_id: 1945166 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - cancer care access - rural health care - health care workforce - legislative study committee --- # HR 72. House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access; create ## Text LC 46 1254S The House Committee on Rules offers the following substitute to HR 72: A RESOLUTION Creating the House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, rural Georgians and minority populations in this state often lack access to2 quality cancer care and there is a need to evaluate and make recommendations for such care;3 and4 WHEREAS, ideas and incentives to increase cancer screenings sta tewide should be5 evaluated, including a return on investment assessment of preve ntion and early detection6 efforts, to determine quality cancer care; and7 WHEREAS, the economic impact and significance of cancer care ce nters and other care8 facilities in Georgia needs to be explored; and9 WHEREAS, medical education programs that attract and retain cancer physicians, nurses,10 advance practice providers, and clinical researchers are important to this state; and11 WHEREAS, workforce development initiatives for cancer care prov iders including those12 described herein as well as licensed clinical social workers, community health workers, and13 navigators may benefit this state.14 - 1 - LC 46 1254S NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:15 (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee16 on Cancer Care Access.17 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the18 House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of19 Representatives. The Speaker shall also appoi nt an additional seven members of the20 committee as follows: two representatives of Georgia's medical or public health schools;21 one primary care physician; one community oncologist practicing in a rural community;22 and one representative from Georgia's federally qualified health centers; and two others23 representing cancer survivors, hospitals or medical centers, ca regivers, navigators, or24 other areas of expertise. The Speaker shall designate a legisl ative member of the25 committee as chairperson of the committee.26 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,27 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or28 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.29 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee30 shall hold four such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary31 or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties,32 and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.33 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.34 (A) The members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code35 Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.36 (B) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state off icials, or state37 employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that38 specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Offi cial Code of Georgia39 Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance a uthorized for state40 employees.41 - 2 - LC 46 1254S (C) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member42 of the committee for more than three days unless additional days are authorized. Funds43 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds44 appropriated to the House of Representatives.45 (6) Report.46 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that47 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the48 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to49 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.50 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for51 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)52 of this paragraph.53 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of54 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 55 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairpersons and filed with the Clerk of the56 House of Representatives.57 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the58 House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu59 thereof.60 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025. 61 - 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 House resolution would create a 12-member study committee to examine cancer care access in Georgia, focusing on rural and minority communities, and report recommendations by December 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access to look into why rural Georgians and minority populations often lack access to quality cancer care. The committee would study ways to boost cancer screenings statewide, weigh the economic value of cancer care centers, and examine medical education and workforce programs that train and keep cancer doctors, nurses, and other providers in Georgia. The Speaker of the House would appoint five House members plus seven other members, including representatives of medical schools, a primary care physician, a rural oncologist, a federally qualified health center representative, and others such as cancer survivors or caregivers. The committee must meet four times, can recommend legislation, and would be abolished on December 1, 2025, after filing any approved report with the Clerk of the House. ### What it does - Creates the House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access, made up of 5 House members and 7 additional appointed members. - Directs the committee to study cancer care access problems, especially in rural and minority communities, and recommend legislation. - Requires the committee to hold four meetings and file a report of any approved findings before it is abolished. - Sets member pay and expense allowances under existing state law (O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21), capped at three days unless extended. - Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025. ### Who it affects Members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, medical and public health school representatives, primary care and rural oncology physicians, federally qualified health center staff, cancer survivors, caregivers, and rural and minority Georgians facing gaps in cancer care access. ### Why it matters The committee's findings could shape future legislation on cancer screening incentives, funding for cancer care facilities, and workforce programs for cancer providers, potentially affecting how rural and minority Georgians access cancer treatment and prevention services down the road. ### Key provisions - Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access. - Paragraph 2 sets committee membership: 5 House members plus 7 others, including medical school representatives, physicians, and community advocates, with a legislator as chairperson. - Paragraph 3 charges the committee with studying cancer care conditions and recommending action or legislation. - Paragraph 4 requires the chairperson to call four meetings. - Paragraph 5 sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 45-7-21, funded through House appropriations, capped at three paid days unless extended. - Paragraph 6 lays out reporting requirements, including filing an approved report or meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House. - Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-04) - Last action: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Lee Hawkins, Gerald Greene, Karen Mathiak, Deborah Silcox, Katie Dempsey - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69586 > The history, votes, and amendments (452 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr72.md?full=1