HR1522: HR1522 House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health; create

This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health to look at how the Department of Community Health (DCH) runs its programs. DCH is one of Georgia's four health agencies and oversees Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, the State Health Benefit Plan, healthcare facility regulation, and the State Office of Rural Health, touching about one in four Georgians. The five-member committee would be appointed by the Speaker of the House, with one member named chairperson. It would study DCH's operations, funding, and staffing needs, with particular attention to Medicaid and other medical assistance programs, and decide whether the state should take any action. Members would receive standard legislative allowances for up to five days unless more are approved, paid from House funds. The committee must file any report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health, made up of five House members appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study DCH's operations, functions, services, funding, and staffing, with focus on Medicaid and other medical assistance programs.
• Authorizes the committee to recommend legislation or other action based on its findings.
• Sets standard legislative per diem allowances for committee members, capped at five days unless additional days are approved.
• Requires any approved report to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

The bill mainly affects the Department of Community Health and its programs, including Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, the State Health Benefit Plan, and the State Office of Rural Health. It also affects the House members appointed to the study committee and, indirectly, the roughly one in four Georgians who rely on DCH-administered health coverage.

If DCH's operations, funding, and staffing are found to have problems, the committee's recommendations could lead to future legislation affecting Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, or other health programs relied on by a large share of Georgians, though the resolution itself makes no immediate policy changes.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Evaluating Community Health.
• Paragraph (2) sets the committee at five House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying DCH's conditions, needs, and issues and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph (5) sets legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless extended, funded through House appropriations.
• Paragraph (6) requires any adopted report or, absent one, meeting minutes to be filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-16House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)

• public health policy
• Medicaid
• Department of Community Health
• legislative study committee
• health care funding