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

26 LC 64 0118S The House Committee on Special Rules offers the following substitute to HR 1665: A RESOLUTION Creating the House Study Committee on Environmental Protection Division Permit and1 Variance Procedures and Rights to Review; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources3 (EPD) is charged with the protection of this state's air, land, and water resources; and4 WHEREAS, as part of its duties, the EPD regulates public and private facilities in the areas5 of air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, water supply, s olid waste, surface mining,6 underground storage tanks, and other similar activities, and issues and enforces state permits7 and variances in such areas; and8 WHEREAS, it would be beneficial to study the EPD's procedures r elating to granting,9 denying, revoking, or amending permits or variances, as well as any rights to administrative 10 or judicial review by aggrieved or adversely affected parties, to evaluate whether any action11 by the state is warranted to ensure efficient and economical operations or to better serve the12 public welfare.13 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:14 H. R. 1665 (SUB) - 1 - 26 LC 64 0118S (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee15 on Environmental Protection Division Permit and Variance Proced ures and Rights to16 Review.17 (2) Members and officers.18 (A) The committee shall be composed of seven members of the Ho use of19 Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.20 (B) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designat e all members of the21 committee and a chairperson of the committee.22 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,23 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or24 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.25 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee26 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or27 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and28 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.29 (5) Allowances and funding.30 (A) Members of the committee shall receive the allowances prov ided for in Code31 Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.32 (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member33 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds34 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds35 appropriated to the House of Representatives.36 (6) Report.37 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that38 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the39 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to40 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.41 H. R. 1665 (SUB) - 2 - 26 LC 64 0118S (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for42 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)43 of this paragraph.44 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of45 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.46 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with47 the Clerk of the House of Representatives.48 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the49 House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu50 thereof.51 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.52 H. R. 1665 (SUB) - 3 -