Committee hears proposal for temporary panel to review federal funds to Georgia

Madam leader (Speaker 2) introduced House Resolution 257 at a Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight committee hearing, saying the proposal "simply allows for the creation of a special committee on oversight of federal funds" to compile a list of federal funds, their amounts, purposes and sources and to review how those funds are managed and what outcomes they deliver.

The resolution would create a short-term panel chaired by an appointee of the Speaker, with four members appointed by the majority leader and four by the minority leader, authorized to work for five days and to submit a report; the sponsor said the special committee would end on Dec. 15, 2026. The sponsor also cited a recent audit and said it included a finding that "there were some $3,000,000 that was misstated," and pointed members to page 25, section b7 of the audit for detail.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on practical details. One member (Speaker 3) asked why the bill requests the prior three years of data, noting that COVID-era federal spending could make those years especially informative; the sponsor responded that three years is a manageable starting point given the panel’s five‑day work window and that the committee handling the bill could amend the scope. Another member (Speaker 4) asked whether the bill should specify exact calendar years and suggested the committee review the state auditor’s report; the sponsor confirmed committee reports would be made available to the public.

Chair (Speaker 1) urged caution about creating a study body with enforcement powers, asking whether the existing committee could take on the work and questioning whether the special committee would have practical subpoena authority. The chair cited statutory language (transcribed in the hearing as "45 45 15 19") and said legislative counsel had weighed in; the sponsor said she was following legislative counsel’s guidance but acknowledged the issue may be resolved later in the process.

Members also discussed which federal dollars the panel would examine. The sponsor and the chair agreed the proposed panel’s focus is on funds that pass through the state rather than federal grants that go directly to local governments. One member (Speaker 6) described Perkins career-and-technical-education funds as an example of a federally funded program already subject to layered oversight and asked whether the special committee would create an additional auditing process or instead draw on existing audits.

Speakers on both sides endorsed greater transparency and performance review. The sponsor emphasized reviewing both financial accounting and performance outcomes, and a member asked that the committee consider making performance data publicly available so Georgians can better understand the return on federal dollars.

No formal motion or vote on the resolution was recorded at the hearing. The chair said the committee would hold additional hearings to vet the proposal and adjourned the session.