House Rules Committee, March 9, 2026 Video: https://vimeo.com/1171799172 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1171799172#t=s) Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-09/house-rules 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. [0:23:49] At this point, we're here [0:23:50] Mr. Patrick, thank you. [0:24:02] Good morning, everybody. [0:24:06] 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] 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] 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] Amen. Thank you. We're gonna recognize, uh, Chairman Hatchett to speak to House Bill 974. [0:25:09] 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] Any questions? [0:25:42] Okay. All right, you, you heard the explanation. Is there a motion to approve? [0:25:50] Move. [0:25:50] Have a move and second. Any opposition? Okay, it's approved. Good job- [0:25:54] Thank you, Mr. Chairman [0:25:55] ... Tim. Yeah. [0:26:00] Senator Efstration, you want to tell us about a bill you have an interest in? [0:26:05] 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] What- [0:26:34] I'd be happy to answer any questions [0:26:35] ... Senate Bill 440. Don't see any questions. Thank you, ma'am. [0:26:40] Thank you. [0:26:41] Okay. Okay, let's set us a calendar for today. Under modified structure, House Resolution 145. [0:26:57] Move. [0:26:57] Have a move and second. Is there any opposition? It's on. House Resolution 948. [0:27:06] Move. [0:27:07] 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] Move. [0:27:25] Move and second. Any opposition? It's on for tomorrow. Under modified structure, Senate Bill 239. [0:27:34] Move. [0:27:35] Second. Moved and second. Any opposition? It's on. House Bill 420. [0:27:43] Move. [0:27:44] Second. Moved and second. Any opposition? It's on. [0:27:49] That's Senate Bill 420. [0:27:51] 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.