Bill would restore statutory oversight powers to House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight committee

Representative Warner (Vice Chairman/Horner referenced in the hearing) presented House Bill 1178 (LC443347), telling the committee that the measure would return the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight committee’s responsibilities to state code after most of that authority was removed in 2008. "What this bill does is it puts it back in the code section almost as is," Warner said, adding the bill would fix the committee at 18 members, allow the Speaker to appoint members, restore authority to request performance audits and centralize agency liabilities for review.

Warner described the committee’s intended responsibilities as including line-by-line review of budgets, assets and liabilities and the ability to call audits when state money is involved. He said the committee should perform oversight outside the 40-day session to allow time to review the state’s roughly 52 departments and their liabilities. Warner said he was open to language to assure bipartisan participation and suggested minimum meeting targets (for example, nine meetings) to provide year-round oversight while recognizing the part-time nature of the legislature.

Committee members raised operational questions about quorum, report distribution and standards for "termination of necessity" language that could be used to close inquiries. Representative Campbell recommended standardizing audit templates and publishing reports online to increase transparency; Warner and others agreed that performance-audit objectives should be coordinated and possibly tailored to specific agencies.

Christine Lawson, a Catoosa County resident, testified in favor of restoring oversight and subpoena authority, saying legislative oversight would reassure citizens that public funds are being spent efficiently. Matt Taylor, deputy director in the Georgia Department of Audits’ performance audit division, urged coordination between any new committee audits and existing DOAA work to avoid duplication and to tailor objectives as needed.

No vote was taken at the hearing; the committee adjourned after public comments.