Legislative Study Committees

Though things can sometimes be quiet for state legislators while not in session during a nonelection year, that is not the case this year due to many different study committees in the House and Senate. I serve on three Senate study committees including Certificate of Need Reform, Healthcare Personnel Recruitment, and Foster Care and Adoption. I'm chair of the Foster Care and Adoption study committee, which held its first meeting in August. The purpose of these committees is to take a deeper look into various issues and to make recommendations about legislation for the 2024 legislative session.

Due to support from the lt. governor's office and Commissioner of the Department of Human Services Candice Broce, the Foster and Adoption committee members are optimistic about making progress on complicated child welfare issues. We heard from several experts who gave us a lot of information about the status of the system and problems such as the "hoteling" of children in state custody.

Another important committee is the Joint Committee on Tax Credits, which is reviewing all the incentives offered by the state to businesses. The committee wants to ensure that the state is getting its expected return on investment.

There are also Senate committees relating to Georgia's workforce, which continues to be a big challenge, as more companies move to our state. The pandemic and the "Great Resignation" have made workforce issues even more difficult.

One of the committees, Expanding Georgia's Workforce, is chaired by Senator John Albers who represents part of Cherokee County. The healthcare workforce has been a challenging issue for many years, especially in the realm of mental and behavioral health. The study committee for Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment is specifically working on this problem.

The House has its own committees including one for Certificate of Need Modernization. The Certificate of Need law relates to the approval of healthcare facilities throughout the state based on need. Since there is also a Senate committee for this same issue, it will be interesting to see if the recommendations from the two groups are similar on this controversial topic.

To see a complete list of the study committees, please visit Legis.Ga.gov and click on the committees tab. All meetings are live-streamed and archived for those who want to watch them. The committees will finish their work by December 1. If you have questions about the committee process or anything else related to legislation, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..