--- title: House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026 collection: meetings id: 2026-03-09/house-rules cite_as: House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026, video https://vimeo.com/1171799172 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-rules md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-rules.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-rules/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1171799172 date: 2026-03-09 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-appropriations.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/senate-floor.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: House body: House Rules Committee body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/house-rules.md meeting_kind: rules session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-03-09T11:00:00-04:00 location: 341 CAP duration_seconds: 1707.0 video_id: 1171799172 video_title: 3.9.26 Rules agenda_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/house/Rules%2FHOUSE RULES COMMITTEE MEETING 3-9-26.pdf bills_discussed: - HB 974 - SB 440 - HR 145 - HR 948 - SB 239 - HB 420 - SB 420 official_records: - https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=2371 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 33 --- # House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026 House Rules Committee; March 9, 2026; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1171799172. Agenda: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/house/Rules%2FHOUSE RULES COMMITTEE MEETING 3-9-26.pdf. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The committee approved [HB 974](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb974), the fiscal year 2027 budget, and placed it on the next day's floor calendar. It placed [HR 145](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr145) and [HR 948](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr948) on that day's calendar, and [SB 239](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb239) on the next day's calendar. The chair also announced and received approval for [HB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb420), then corrected the bill identification to [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420). No opposition was voiced to the calendar motions. A presenter explained [SB 440](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb440), but the committee took no recorded action on it. The chair announced that the next Rules Committee meeting would be at 9 a.m. the following day. ## Bills discussed (7) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### HB 974. General appropriations; State Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 [HB 974](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb974) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:25:05](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1505s), turns 6 to 26. Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2375: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=2379. The budget presenter described [HB 974](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb974) as a $38.5 billion fiscal year 2027 budget, about 2% above the original fiscal year 2026 budget. The presenter said members had begun reviewing it at 9 a.m. No questions were asked during this presentation. The committee approved the bill without voiced opposition, then later placed it on the next day's floor calendar under modified open rules, again without voiced opposition. ### SB 440. Department of Public Health; provisions relative to duties or functions; modernize and update [SB 440](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb440) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:26:36](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1596s), turns 18 to 19. Before the chair identified the measure as [SB 440](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb440), the presenter described it as a Department of Public Health cleanup bill that removes obsolete or unused legal provisions and updates statutes to reflect current program operations. The presenter said it would not create programs, expand regulatory authority or change benefits people currently receive. No questions were asked, and no vote or calendar placement was recorded. ### HR 145. Education and Public Health, Departments of; collaborate to prioritize the expansion of vision and hearing screenings at various grade levels; urge [HR 145](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr145) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:26:53](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1613s), turns 20 to 22. The chair proposed placing [HR 145](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr145) on that day's floor calendar under modified structured rules. The motion received a second and passed without voiced opposition. There was no discussion of the resolution's substance. ### HR 948. House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications; create [HR 948](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr948) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:27:03](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1623s), turns 22 to 24. The committee placed [HR 948](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr948) on that day's floor calendar under modified structured rules after a motion and second, with no voiced opposition. There was no discussion of the resolution's substance. ### SB 239. Funeral Directors and Establishments; funeral directors be licensed embalmers; remove the requirement [SB 239](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb239) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:27:32](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1652s), turns 26 to 28. Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2375: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=2379. The committee placed [SB 239](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb239) on the next day's floor calendar under modified structured rules after a motion and second, with no voiced opposition. There was no discussion of the bill's substance. ### HB 420. Insurance; require certain health benefit policies to cover genetic testing for an inherited mutation and cancer imaging under certain conditions [HB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb420) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:27:41](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1661s), turns 28 to 32. The chair announced [HB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb420) during calendar setting, and a motion received a second and passed without voiced opposition. Another speaker then corrected the identification to [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420), which the chair confirmed. The exchange therefore does not establish a separate calendar placement for [HB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb420). Its substance was not discussed. ### SB 420. License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:27:49](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1669s), turns 31 to 32. Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2375: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=2379. Another speaker identified [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420) as the intended bill following a calendar motion announced under a different bill code. The chair acknowledged the correction. The preceding motion had passed without voiced opposition for the next day's calendar under modified structured rules. There was no discussion of the bill's substance. ## Official records of this meeting - 2026 House Journal, pp. 2367 to 2574 (2026-03-10): https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-journal-document-library/2026-regular-session-house-journal.pdf?sfvrsn=e39df1be_2#page=2371 ## Transcript (33 turns) [0:23:49](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1429s) At this point, we're here [0:23:50](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1430s) Mr. Patrick, thank you. [0:24:02](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1442s) Good morning, everybody. [0:24:06](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1446s) Glad to see all of you today, that you adjusted your clocks properly so you could, uh, find your way over here at the appropriate time. I don't know about you, but my weekend went by pretty quickly. [0:24:19](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1459s) Didn't take long to spend the weekend, did it? Okay, we'll call the meeting to order. And, uh, uh, Chairman Hawkins, you want to open us up with a word of prayer? [0:24:32](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1472s) I saw those focused eyes. Please bow your heads. God, we come to you asking for your guidance and your help and advice and, and while we make decisions on all the bills and, and that affect the people of Georgia. We listen to you and depend on you. Please give us the strength to make the right decisions. In your name, we pla- pu- pray. Amen. [0:24:58](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1498s) Amen. Thank you. We're gonna recognize, uh, Chairman Hatchett to speak to House Bill 974. [0:25:09](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1509s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A lot of those in this room this morning started at 9:00 AM going over HB 974, our fiscal year '27 budget. Uh, I didn't have any questions in committee, so I'm wondering if I'll have any on this one this time. It's a $38.5 billion budget with, uh, about a 2% increase over last year's original FY26 budget. [0:25:41](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1541s) Any questions? [0:25:42](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1542s) Okay. All right, you, you heard the explanation. Is there a motion to approve? [0:25:50](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1550s) Move. [0:25:50](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1550s) Have a move and second. Any opposition? Okay, it's approved. Good job- [0:25:54](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1554s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman [0:25:55](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1555s) ... Tim. Yeah. [0:26:00](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1560s) Senator Efstration, you want to tell us about a bill you have an interest in? [0:26:05](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1565s) Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the back page of your blue sheet, the very last bill is the one I'm bringing you today. It is a DPH department bill, and it's a cleanup bill that removes obsolete or unused code sections and updates statutes to reflect how the programs operate today. It does not create any new programs, expand any regulatory authority, or change any benefits that people are currently receiving. [0:26:34](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1594s) What- [0:26:34](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1594s) I'd be happy to answer any questions [0:26:35](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1595s) ... Senate Bill 440. Don't see any questions. Thank you, ma'am. [0:26:40](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1600s) Thank you. [0:26:41](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1601s) Okay. Okay, let's set us a calendar for today. Under modified structure, House Resolution 145. [0:26:57](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1617s) Move. [0:26:57](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1617s) Have a move and second. Is there any opposition? It's on. House Resolution 948. [0:27:06](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1626s) Move. [0:27:07](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1627s) Move and second. Any opposition? It's on. Okay, that'll give us something to work on today. Uh, for tomorrow, under modified open, House Bill 97427 budget. [0:27:24](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1644s) Move. [0:27:25](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1645s) Move and second. Any opposition? It's on for tomorrow. Under modified structure, Senate Bill 239. [0:27:34](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1654s) Move. [0:27:35](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1655s) Second. Moved and second. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 420. [0:27:43](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1663s) Move. [0:27:44](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1664s) Second. Moved and second. Any opposition? It's on. [0:27:49](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1669s) That's Senate Bill 420. [0:27:51](https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=1671s) Senate Bill 420. Yeah, Senate Bill 420. I'm sorry. Okay. Uh, that'll give us something to get started on today, and we'll have the budget tomorrow, and that'll take care of that. So our next Rules Committee meeting will be tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Thank you all very much. We adjourn.