HR 883: House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; create

Georgia currently has no dedicated legislative body focused solely on tourism growth strategy. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism to study tourism-related challenges and opportunities, with a particular focus on increasing overnight hotel stays, and to recommend actions or legislation to support industry growth. The committee would have ten members: five state representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House (three from the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, two chosen for tourism expertise), plus one representative each from the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Georgia Restaurant Association, Georgia Sports Tourism Council, and Explore Georgia. The Speaker would name a legislative chairperson. Members get standard legislative allowances or state expense reimbursements, capped at five days unless extended. The committee must file a report or meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House before it is automatically abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates a ten-member House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism to examine tourism growth opportunities.
• Directs the committee to focus particularly on increasing overnight hotel stays and to recommend legislation or other actions.
• Sets committee membership to include five House members and one representative each from five named tourism industry groups.
• Provides daily expense allowances and mileage reimbursement for committee members, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized.
• Requires the chairperson to file a report or, if none is approved, meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House before the committee ends.
• Automatically abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

State representatives appointed to the committee, the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Georgia Restaurant Association, Georgia Sports Tourism Council, and Explore Georgia, all of whom would have a seat on the committee. Georgia's broader tourism and hospitality industry could be affected by any resulting recommendations.

The resolution itself does not change any law or fund any program; it sets up a short-term committee to study tourism policy and hotel stays, particularly with the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta approaching, and its work could shape future legislation affecting hotels, tourism marketing, and local economies.

• Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism.
• Paragraph 2 sets membership at ten: five House members appointed by the Speaker and one representative each from five named tourism trade groups, with the Speaker naming the chairperson.
• Paragraph 3 charges the committee with assessing tourism challenges and opportunities and recommending actions or legislation, focused on increasing overnight hotel stays.
• Paragraph 5 sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and § 45-7-21, capped at five days of reimbursement unless additional days are authorized, funded through House appropriations.
• Paragraph 6 requires the chairperson to file an approved report or, absent one, meeting minutes with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-04-04House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-04-02House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-31House Hopper (House)

• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-15)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-34)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)

• tourism
• hotel industry
• economic development
• 2026 FIFA World Cup
• legislative study committees