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HR 753

House Study Committee on Improving Access to Internal Medicine in Rural Areas; create

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Beth Camp and 3 co-sponsors

H.R. 753 creates a temporary study committee to assess and propose ways to improve access to internal medicine in Georgia’s rural/underserved areas, including transportation barrie

House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
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Bill Summary · HR 753

Summary — H.R. 753 (House Resolution, Georgia)

Title: House Study Committee on Improving Access to Internal Medicine in Rural Areas (substitute: Underserved Areas)
Introduced: January 28, 2025 — House Passed/Adopted by Substitute: April 4, 2025
Status: Passed by House (substitute); creates temporary study committees (resolution)

Purpose and intent

H.R. 753 creates a temporary House study committee to evaluate access to internal medicine in rural (substitute: underserved) areas of Georgia, with special attention to communities experiencing health transportation shortages. The resolution documents statewide access challenges (e.g., ~75% of counties rural; roughly 40 counties with no internal medicine physician; Georgia ranked 40th in active patient-care physicians; 142 of 159 counties designated health professional shortage areas) and directs a focused study of cost‑effective ways to expand access. The House Rules substitute also adds a second, separate study committee on the affordability and accessibility of Georgia’s legitimation process for unmarried biological fathers.

Key provisions — Committee on Improving Access to Internal Medicine (primary)

  • Creates the House Study Committee on Improving Access to Internal Medicine in Underserved Areas (originally “Rural Areas”).
  • Membership: 8 members total
    • 5 members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker
    • 3 nonlegislative appointees (licensed Georgia healthcare providers familiar with rural needs) appointed by the Speaker
    • The Speaker designates a legislative member as chair.
  • Duties: study the conditions, needs, issues, and problems related to internal medicine access in rural/underserved communities (including transportation barriers) and recommend actions or legislation.
  • Meetings: called by the chair; may meet where/when necessary to perform duties.
  • Compensation/funding:
    • Legislative members receive allowances per O.C.G.A. §28-1-8.
    • Nonlegislative members receive a daily expense allowance equal to O.C.G.A. §45-7-21(b) and mileage/transportation allowances for state employees.
    • Substitute limits expense allowance payments to no more than three days per member (original version allowed up to five days) unless additional days are authorized.
    • Funds to come from House-appropriated funds.
  • Reporting: chair must file committee report (including proposed legislation, if any) prior to abolishment; reports require majority approval of a quorum. If no approved report, minutes may be filed instead.
  • Termination: committee abolished December 1, 2025.

Key provisions — Committee on Legitimation Process (added in substitute)

  • Creates a separate House Study Committee on the Affordability and Accessibility of Georgia’s Legitimation Process.
  • Membership: 5 House members; Speaker designates chair.
  • Duties: study whether Georgia’s legitimation process can be made more affordable and accessible for biological fathers, and recommend action or legislation.
  • Allowances: legislative members receive O.C.G.A. §28-1-8 allowances; expense payments capped at three days unless extended. Funds from House-appropriated funds.
  • Reporting and abolishment provisions mirror those of the primary committee (abolishment date: December 1, 2025, under the same timeline).

Who is affected / potential impact

  • Directly affected: rural and underserved Georgia residents, internal medicine physicians and healthcare providers, local health systems, and policymakers. Nonlegislative appointees (healthcare providers) may participate in the study.
  • Indirectly affected: communities facing transportation barriers to care, patients lacking primary internal medicine access, and unmarried biological fathers who may be impacted if the legitimation study leads to policy change.
  • Potential outcomes: committee findings could inform future legislation or policy changes on workforce recruitment/retention, telehealth and transportation solutions, incentives for internal medicine practice in underserved areas, and reforms to legitimation procedures or fees.

Procedural timeline (selected)

  • 2025-01-28: Introduced; referred to House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
  • 2025-03-27 to 2025-04-02: Readings and committee favorable report.
  • 2025-04-04: House Passed / Adopted by Substitute.
  • Committee(s) operate immediately upon adoption and must conclude and report before abolition on December 1, 2025.

Note: This resolution establishes investigatory study committees only; it does not itself enact statutory changes. Any recommended legislation would require separate legislative action.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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