Committee approves moving Center for Rural Prosperity from USG to Department of Agriculture

The House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee on committee day moved forward HB495, a bill to transfer the Center for Rural Prosperity from the University System of Georgia (ABAC) to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The measure would place the Center for Rural Prosperity under the Department of Agriculture’s oversight while keeping the center’s existing programs and funding in place. Committee members said the center provides technical assistance and development support to small, rural communities across Georgia.

Catherine Russell, director of policy at the Georgia Department of Agriculture, told the committee the department supports the bill and “look[s] forward to supporting the agriculture community moving forward with this new task.” The sponsor said the change mostly adjusts administrative placement and some wording but does not alter the center’s mission.

A committee member moved that the bill “do pass.” Committee leadership called for the vote by voice and recorded an affirmative outcome. The transcript does not include a recorded roll-call tally in the committee minutes.

Supporters said housing the center in the Department of Agriculture will better align the center’s work with state agricultural outreach and make its services more accessible to rural communities. No formal opposition comments were recorded during the committee discussion.

The committee’s action advances HB495 to the next step in the legislative process; the transcript does not record the bill’s final passage by the full House.

The committee also recognized visitors from conservation and extension organizations during the same meeting.