HR1754: HR1754 House Study Committee on Georgia Teacher Planning and Duty-Free Lunch; create

Georgia law expects teachers to get duty-free lunch periods and planning time during the school day, but many school districts waive these protections because of substitute teacher shortages, required professional learning, and other staffing pressures. This resolution does not change those existing requirements directly. Instead, it creates the House Study Committee on Georgia Teacher Planning and Duty-Free Lunch to look into the problem. The committee would have six House members appointed by the Speaker of the House, who would also name a chairperson. The committee can hold meetings as needed, study the issues described in the resolution, and recommend legislation or other action. Members would receive standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five days unless more are approved, funded through the House's existing budget. The committee must file a report or meeting minutes before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Georgia Teacher Planning and Duty-Free Lunch to study teacher planning time and duty-free lunch issues.
• Directs the Speaker of the House to appoint six House members to the committee and name one as chairperson.
• Authorizes the committee to hold meetings, study the problem, and recommend legislation or other action it considers necessary.
• Grants legislative members standard allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days of pay unless additional days are approved, funded from the House's budget.
• Requires the committee to file a report with recommendations, or meeting minutes if no report is approved, before it dissolves.
• Sets the committee's abolishment date as December 1, 2026.

Georgia's public school teachers, whose planning time and lunch breaks are often reduced due to substitute shortages; the six House members appointed to the study committee; and school districts, whose staffing practices around duty-free lunch and planning time would be examined.

If created, the committee could shape future legislation on substitute teacher funding and protections for teacher planning time and lunch breaks, issues that affect daily working conditions for teachers across Georgia's school districts, though the resolution itself makes no binding policy changes.

• Paragraph (1) formally creates the House Study Committee on Teacher Planning and Duty-Free Lunch.
• Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at six House members appointed by the Speaker, with a Speaker-designated chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying the described problems and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph (5) caps paid allowance days at five unless more are authorized and specifies funding comes from the House of Representatives' appropriated funds.
• Paragraph (6) requires a report with recommendations or, absent one, committee meeting minutes, filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-18House Hopper (House)

• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)Primary sponsor
• Akbar Ali (D, HD-106)
• Marvin Lim (D, HD-098)

• teacher planning time
• duty-free lunch
• substitute teachers
• education policy
• legislative study committees