HR1665: HR1665 House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review; create

The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources oversees air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, water supply, solid waste, surface mining, underground storage tanks, and similar activities, and issues the permits and variances that let facilities operate in these areas. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review to look at how EPD handles granting, denying, revoking, or amending those permits and variances, and what options people or businesses affected by EPD decisions have to get administrative or judicial review. The Speaker of the House would appoint all seven members and the chairperson. The committee can meet as needed, members get standard legislative per diem and expense allowances for up to five days unless more are approved, and funding comes from the House's existing budget. The committee must file any report and recommendations before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review, made up of seven House members appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study EPD's procedures for granting, denying, revoking, or amending permits and variances covering air, water, waste, and mining activities.
• Directs the committee to examine what rights aggrieved or adversely affected parties have to administrative or judicial review of EPD decisions.
• Authorizes the committee to recommend legislation or other action, with a report due before the committee is abolished.
• Sets the committee's allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 (standard legislative per diem and expenses), capped at five days of allowances unless additional days are approved.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

The resolution directly affects members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, the Environmental Protection Division and Department of Natural Resources, and, through the study's subject matter, businesses, facilities, and individuals who hold or seek EPD permits or variances or who have sought review of EPD decisions.

Any recommendations from this committee could eventually lead to changes in how quickly or fairly EPD issues, denies, or revokes environmental permits, and in what options businesses or residents have to challenge those decisions, though the resolution itself only sets up a study rather than changing current law.

• Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Procedures and Rights to Review.
• Paragraph (2) sets the committee at seven House members, all appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying EPD permit and variance procedures and related review rights and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph (4) lets the chairperson call meetings at any time and place needed to carry out the study.
• Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, limited to five days unless more are authorized, funded through the House of Representatives' existing appropriation.
• Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee's abolishment date.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-18House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-16House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-12House Hopper (House)

• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)

• environmental permits
• Environmental Protection Division
• study committee
• natural resources regulation