| 1 | 1 | | 24 LC 57 0092 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 1214 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Reese of the 140 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | th |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | , Hugley of the 141 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | st |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | , Smith of the 138 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | th |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | , and Buckner |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | of the 137 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | th |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | A RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Creating the House Study Committee on the Affordability and Accessibility of Georgia's |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 1 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Legitimation Process; and for other purposes.2 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, in Georgia, a biological father who is not married to the mother of his child at3 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | the time of such child's birth must file a separate legal petition in order to legitimate the child4 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | and obtain legal rights as a parent; and5 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, the benefit of having two parents responsible for a child is known to have a6 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | positive effect on a child's welfare; and7 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, in Georgia, biological fathers who wish to obtain parental rights to their8 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | children are discouraged from doing so, often due to a lack of resources or awareness of the9 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | costs associated with legitimation; and10 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, it is worth considering whether the legitimation process in Georgia may be11 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | improved in a way that yields it more affordable and accessible, particularly for those12 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | biological fathers with limited financial resources.13 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | H. R. 1214 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | - 1 - 24 LC 57 0092 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 14 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee15 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | on the Affordability and Accessibility of Georgia's Legitimation Process.16 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the17 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate18 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.19 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,20 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or21 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.22 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee23 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or24 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and25 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.26 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive27 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia28 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any29 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. 30 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds31 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | appropriated to the House of Representatives.32 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (6) Report.33 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that34 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the35 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to36 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.37 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for38 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)39 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | of this paragraph.40 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | H. R. 1214 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | - 2 - 24 LC 57 0092 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | 41 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.42 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with43 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | the Clerk of the House of Representatives.44 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the45 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu46 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | thereof.47 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2024.48 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | H. R. 1214 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | - 3 - |
|---|