Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Committee Rules Oversight topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Georgia House oversight committee adopts rules, rejects 24-hour bill-notice proposal; HB 159 assigned for hearing
Summary
The House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee approved its meeting rules and rejected a proposal to require committee members receive legislation 24 hours before consideration. Chair Steve Tarvin said the panel will focus on oversight of state spending; the committee was also assigned HB 159 for future consideration.
The House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee voted to adopt its rules for the session but rejected a proposal to require that any bill be emailed to members at least 24 hours before the committee would consider it.
Chairman Steve Tarvin, chairman of the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee, opened the meeting and described the panel’s role. “The committee is responsible for holding hearings to monitor the spending programs within the state’s budget,” Tarvin said, noting the committee’s oversight remit also includes “identify[ing] and eliminat[ing] barriers to business growth across the state” and seeking transparency and efficiency from state agencies.
The committee spent the bulk of its meeting reviewing its rules, discussing quorum and scheduling, and considering a member proposal on advance notice for legislation. Representative Cyra Draper proposed adding a rule that “any legislation that we would be reviewing and certainly voting on, we have at least 24 hours advance notice of that.” Draper said the requirement would serve transparency and help members prepare for hearings that could involve “really tough questions.”
Tarvin accepted the motion for consideration and a second was recorded. The committee conducted a voice and show-of-hands tally: five members voted in favor and six opposed; Tarvin did not cast a vote on that motion. The motion therefore failed.
The committee then moved to approve the standing rules as presented. Members approved the rules by voice and raised-hands tally with six members voting in favor (the chairman did not vote on the approval).
Tarvin also addressed operational details for the coming months, saying the panel will be a year-round fact-finding committee that will hold hearings on state programs and listen to public and business stakeholders. He said staff and members will attempt to schedule off-session meetings geographically convenient to members, asking members to provide their home locations and drive times to Atlanta so meetings can be placed closer to those who travel long distances.
On substantive business, Tarvin said the committee has been assigned HB 159, which he described as a housing-authority bill. He said the committee’s current plan is to hold a hearing on HB 159 to allow discussion and public input, with any future vote to be scheduled later; no final committee action on the bill was taken at this meeting.
Tarvin closed the meeting by saying public comment will be taken at the next meeting and that members and departments will have the opportunity to present at that time. “If not, we will stand adjourned,” he said.
Ending: The committee approved its rules and set the stage to hear assigned legislation, including HB 159, in a later meeting. The panel did not adopt a formal 24-hour notice rule for bills.
