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The House Committee on Health offers the following substitute to HR 512:
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on the Addiction Epidemic and Solutions for1
Recovery; and for other purposes.2
WHEREAS, millions of Americans, including both adults and children, are impacted by3
addiction to alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs, sex, gambling, and the internet and4
modern technology; and5
WHEREAS, there are three main addiction types: physical addiction, behavioral addiction,6
and impulse control disorders; and7
WHEREAS, there are two main groups of addiction: substance addictions (substance use8
disorders) and nonsubstance addictions (behavioral addictions); and9
WHEREAS, there are six major stages of addiction: initial use or exposure, misuse,10
tolerance, dependence, addiction, and setbacks; and11
WHEREAS, addiction costs business owners over $750 billion each year in lost revenue,12
profits, productivity, and healthcare costs; and13
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WHEREAS, over 7 percent of divorces in the United States result from addiction; and14
WHEREAS, the rate of drug overdose deaths is 28.6 per 100,000 standard population in15
urban counties and 26.2 per 100,000 standard population in rural counties; and16
WHEREAS, every community in Georgia is experiencing rising costs, academic challenges,17
threats to law enforcement officers and first responders, impacts on marriages, and18
challenges for business owners and the workforce arising from the addiction epidemic; and19
WHEREAS, Georgia should promote programs and protocols for healthcare providers, law20
enforcement officers and first responders, education leaders, faith leaders, business leaders,21
and local governments to better address the addiction epidemic; and22
WHEREAS, it would be beneficial for policymakers to study the current addiction23
challenges and the potential sources of help for addiction in Georgia, anticipate challenges24
and needs policymakers should reasonably expect Georgians to face in the future, improve25
educational programs for both professional and volunteer groups and agencies to better26
address the addiction epidemic, to enhance collaboration and integration between27
professional and volunteer groups and agencies, and ensure that Georgians who face28
addiction now and in the future have access to necessary and effective resources to support29
recovery.30
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:31
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee32
on the Addiction Epidemic and Solutions for Recovery.33
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of 13 members to be34
appointed as follows:35
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(A) Eight members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the36
House of Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a legislative member of the37
committee as chairperson of the committee.38
(B) Five nonlegislative members appointed by the Speaker of the House of39
Representatives, which shall include:40
(i) A citizen representative from the Georgia Council for Recovery;41
(ii) A citizen representative who practices medicine as an independent physician42
whose specialty includes the treatment of addiction and dual diagnosis;43
(iii) A citizen representative who has lost a family member to an overdose; 44
(iv) A citizen representative who serves as a staff member of a recovery community45
organization in Georgia; and46
(v) A citizen who is a peer certified specialist.47
(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,48
issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or49
legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.50
(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee51
may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or52
convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and53
accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.54
(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.55
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided56
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.57
(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,58
or who are state employees, shall receive no compensation for their services on the59
committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the60
performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they61
are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.62
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(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state63
employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that64
specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia65
Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state66
employees.67
(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member68
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds69
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds70
appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement71
of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the72
reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated73
to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.74
(6) Report.75
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that76
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the77
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to78
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.79
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for80
proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)81
of this paragraph.82
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of83
abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.84
A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with85
the Clerk of the House of Representatives.86
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the87
House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu88
thereof.89
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(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.90
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