Georgia CommonsHouse Rules Committee, March 11, 2026
2025-2026 Regular Session · 341 CAP · 28 min
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.
The video is the General Assembly's, played from its Vimeo channel. Select any time below to play that moment. Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Agenda
Summary
Written by an AI model (gpt-6.1-sol) from the transcript. It is not part of the record, and the video is what was said.
The committee heard presentations on SB 428, concerning medical services for people who frequently use jails and emergency departments; SB 399, concerning coordination of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); and SB 427, concerning licensing internationally trained physicians. No votes on those three bills were shown. The committee approved a substitute for HR 1049. It then placed HR 145, HR 1049, SB 177 and SB 220 on the next day's House calendar. A member objected to placing SB 177 on the calendar, but the motion carried by voice vote. The other calendar placements drew no stated opposition.
Bills discussed (7)
Each account covers the stretch of the meeting it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda.
SB 428. Medical Assistance; Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; direct
From 0:21:23 · turns 10 to 13
The sponsor said SB 428 would authorize the Department of Community Health to apply for a waiver to provide medical benefits, including intensive nurse case management, to people who frequently use jails, emergency departments and other expensive care settings. The sponsor said many of these people fall through gaps in services and end up living on the street, and described the proposal as a way to help change that. No questions were asked, and no vote was shown.
SB 399. "Mason Sells AED Coordination Act"; enact
From 0:22:29 · turns 15 to 19
The sponsor said SB 399 would coordinate information about AED locations with 911 services and support training to guide callers through CPR and AED use. The sponsor described a constituent's child whose heart stopped after being struck in the chest by a soccer ball, when an available AED was locked inside a building. The sponsor contrasted that incident with another child who, the sponsor said, was revived after an AED was used within three minutes. The sponsor said knowing where AEDs are located could save lives. No questions were asked, and no vote was shown.
SB 427. Physicians; limited provisional licenses and a pathway to licensure for certain internationally trained physicians; provide
From 0:24:03 · turns 21 to 25
The sponsor said SB 427 reflected about three years of work with the Composite Medical Board and other interested parties on a licensing pathway for internationally trained physicians. The sponsor described English testing, interviews and four years of supervised work in rural or underserved areas, followed by two more years in underserved areas with less supervision before obtaining a license. The sponsor said the proposal would preserve quality, improve access and streamline licensing. The sponsor also said an important word had been omitted in committee and that correcting it in the House would require the measure to return to the Senate for agreement. The word was not identified. No questions were asked, and no vote was shown.
HR 1049. Fentanyl and Opioid Awareness Day; last Wednesday of October each year; designate
From 0:25:39 · turns 26 to 31 · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2583
The presenting member said HR 1049 would recognize fentanyl awareness annually on the last Wednesday of October as part of Red Ribbon Week. The member explained that the substitute changed the reference from the General Assembly to the Georgia House of Representatives. With no questions, the committee approved the substitute after a motion and second. The committee later placed the substituted resolution on the next day's House calendar with no stated opposition.
HR 145. Education and Public Health, Departments of; collaborate to prioritize the expansion of vision and hearing screenings at various grade levels; urge
From 0:26:50 · turn 30 · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2583
The chair proposed placing HR 145, by Rules substitute, on the next day's House calendar. After a motion and second, the committee agreed with no stated opposition. No explanation of the resolution's contents was given.
SB 177. Government Transparency and Campaign Finance; transparency in foreign funded political activities within the state; provide
From 0:27:15 · turns 31 to 35 · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2584
The committee considered placing SB 177 on the next day's House calendar. A member objected, and the chair called a voice vote. Both support and opposition were voiced, and the chair declared that the motion carried. No vote count, explanation of the bill or reason for the objection was given.
SB 220. "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act"; enact
From 0:27:32 · turn 35 · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2584
After a motion and second, the committee placed SB 220 on the next day's House calendar with no stated opposition. No explanation of the bill's contents was given.
Official records of this meeting
- 2026 House Journal, pp. 2575 to 2629 (March 12, 2026)
Transcript
36 turns. Select a time to play that moment of the video.
- 0:00:00
There we go. Good morning, everybody.
- 0:00:02
Good morning.
- 0:00:04
Good morning.
- 0:19:25
Glad to see everybody here. Some of our members forgot to set their clock, uh, so they'll be along in a minute, I think, a little bit later. But let's go ahead and, uh, we'll open up, uh, the meeting, and we're gonna ask Lieutenant Williams to open us up with a word of prayer, please.
- 0:19:41
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, eternal God, we thank you once again for the victory. We thank you for having watched over us during the majority of this session. We ask, Lord, that you will continue to protect and put your shield of protection around us. Keep us mindful that we are here just to speak for the people of the state of Georgia. It is in the precious name of the risen Christ Jesus that we pray. Amen.
- 0:20:09
Amen. Thank you, sir. We've got several guests in the building today that, uh, I know some of you have seen them outside and some of them in here with us, and we're gonna recognize Leader Hugley. I think she wants to introduce some folks that are with her.
- 0:20:24
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to let everyone know that we have nursing students from Columbus State University visiting us in the back of the room. Y'all greet them warmly.
- 0:20:39
Glad to have y'all visiting today. Thank you for being here. Chairman Hitchens. I was gonna say, too, you know, good friend if you can call him that. Friend, uh, the Effingham County Tax Commissioner, Mr. Daniel Rowelt, who also hap- who also happens to be the Speaker's cousin. Hey.
- 0:21:00
Let's give him a hand.
- 0:21:05
Great. We're glad to have you all visiting with us. We got a lot of other constitutional officers. Mine was here earlier this morning, but I don't think she made it in here at this meeting. Okay, let's go ahead and take care of some business. We'll recognize our guest over here with us, Senator Kirkpatrick.
- 0:21:21
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senate Bill 428 is the next to the last one on the back of your blue sheet. And this is a department bill for DCH, and it gives them authority to submit a waiver application to provide a package of medical benefits, including intensive nurse case management for people who are high utilizers of jails, um, all kinds of other, uh, expensive ways to deliver care, emergency departments, for example.
- 0:21:56
And, uh, many of these folks end up, uh, falling through the cracks and living on the street. So this is a way that we can try to provide services to, uh, turn things around. Thank you.
- 0:22:09
Okay, you've heard the explanation. Uh, Senator, I don't see any questions. Thank you.
- 0:22:14
Thank you.
- 0:22:14
Sir. Senator Harbin.
- 0:22:21
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it. Thank you for letting me be here this morning. If you will, on page two, uh, six down from the top, it's SB 399. It's the Mason Sales AED Coordination Act. And what this has to do with is, uh, one of my constituents, his son was hit in the chest with a soccer ball and his heart stopped. And the AED that they had was locked in a building, and they could not find any others. So what this does, when we worked with, uh, Senator Albers as, and, and our safety committee and also with the Georgia Emergency Management people, is to coordinate 911 services where they know where the AEDs are.
- 0:22:57
Uh, what's fun- Not funny, but what really pushed the, uh, constituent, his dad, um, on that same time, two weeks later, another m- young man was hit in the chest with a soccer ball and it stopped the heart, and they were able to put an AED in his, in three minutes and brought him back to life. And one of the things this will also do, it will teach a training for not only cellular CPR, but also for cellular AEDs training, so that you could help somebody that calls you, and they will know the location of the AEDs on, like, college campuses and things of that nature.
- 0:23:35
And I really believe it's a good bill to save lives and knowing where the AEDs are. One of the things I did not realize is you can do CPR, but that's not what you need. You need that AED to bring your heart back to life, and that's what this bill is really about.
- 0:23:51
Okay. Senator, I don't, I don't see any questions. Thank you.
- 0:23:54
Okay. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.
- 0:23:56
Senator Watson.
- 0:24:01
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, SB 427 is on the back page, uh, also. Uh, and this, uh, is a compilation of about three years of work, uh, with the Composite Medical Board, uh, and all interested parties. It has to do with international medical graduates or foreign, uh, medical graduates, uh, to get them, uh, so that we maintain the quality, assure the quality, make sure they can speak English, uh, 'cause they can be tested. They are tested for that.
- 0:24:32
They can be interviewed. But basically, it puts them in rural or underserved areas for four years with supervision and then two more years in, uh, uh, continued underserved areas, uh, with supervision, but less supervision. And after those six years, you can have your license. So it maintains quality, it gives us more access, and it streamlines the process. Um, I'd be happy to answer questions. The, uh, I will note that in committee we'd left off one word, and, uh, so, uh, if it, if, if it does make it to the floor of the House, it will have to come back over for an agree.
- 0:25:09
So, uh, that's, uh, 'cause of the one word that we left out, which was an important word, but, uh, still nevertheless a change.
- 0:25:17
Okay. Don't see any questions, Senator. Thank you.
- 0:25:20
Thank you.
- 0:25:21
Okay. Okay. Any other members of the committee have any requests? Don't see any. Okay. Gonna, uh, call on Leader Hugley to speak to the substitute to House Rule, or House Resolution, excuse me, House Resolution 1049.
- 0:25:46
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, members of the committee, House Resolution 1049, the substitute just changes General Assembly to the Georgia House of Representatives. This is basically a bill that would recognize fentanyl awareness each year as part of Red Ribbon Week on the last Wednesday of October.
- 0:26:12
Okay. You heard that explanation. Any questions? Don't see any questions. Okay, is there a motion to approve the rule substitute to House Resolution 1049? That's LC 64-0094S. Move. Have a motion and second.
- 0:26:31
Second.
- 0:26:31
It's approved, okay? Now then, let's set us a calendar for tomorrow. That'll be, uh, Thursday, legislative day 31. It's my understanding we're gonna start at 10:00 tomorrow. House Resolution 145 by rule substitute LC 49-29-7, 92S. Move. Have a move and a second. Is there any opposition? It's on. House Resolution 1049 by rule substitute LC 64-0094S.
- 0:27:09
Move. Have a move and second. Any opposition? It's on. Okay. Senate Bill 177. Move. Have a move and a second. Any opposition?
- 0:27:23
Objection.
- 0:27:23
Have an objection. Okay. All those in favor of putting it on say aye. Aye. All those opposed say no.
- 0:27:31
No.
- 0:27:31
It carries. Senate Bill 220. Move. Have a move and a second. Any opposition? It's on. Okay, that sets our calendar for tomorrow, and we will have our next rules meeting will be Monday at 9:00 AM. Thank you very much. We're dismissed.