Lawmaker presents Georgia Equitable Economic Development Act to widen '1 Georgia' eligibility

Unidentified Speaker 5 introduced two related measures — House Bill 1098 (LC series read in committee) and House Bill 1039, described as the Georgia Equitable Economic Development Act — saying both aim to expand the definition of "disadvantaged, underserved and under-resourced" communities so more areas can access '1 Georgia' funds. The presenter described eight counties currently listed as ineligible (Cobb, Douglas, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Clayton and "Fed" as read in the transcript) and said that those eight account for roughly 4.3 million residents, while 35 conditionally eligible counties account for another roughly 4.4 million.

Speaker 5 said the bills would broaden eligibility criteria (for example, beyond a simple rural designation) so jurisdictions meeting a set number of conditions could qualify for funding intended to spur grocery, medical and banking access and other economic investments. She described sending committee members a three‑minute PowerPoint and bill breakdowns to illustrate how the proposal would operate and how oversight could be established.

Committee members asked whether '1 Georgia' administrators had been consulted and whether the program could explain why some areas are currently labeled ineligible. The chair proposed inviting '1 Georgia' program staff to testify at the next meeting to clarify eligibility rules, spending history and original intent. With that plan, the committee suspended further action and scheduled a reconvening at 12:30 next Thursday; Representative Bazemore's bill was expected in final draft form at that time.