Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HR883 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 59 0177
2	2	House Resolution 883
3	3	By: Representatives Stephens of the 164
4	4	th
5	5	, Gambill of the 15
6	6	th
7	7	, Seabaugh of the 34
8	8	th
9	9	, Clark
10	10	of the 100
11	11	th
12	12	, Sainz of the 180
13	13	th
14	14	, and others
15	15	A RESOLUTION
16	16	Creating the House Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; and
17	17	1
18	18	for other purposes.2
19	19	WHEREAS, Georgia offers diverse tourism experiences from coastal retreats and mountain3
20	20	escapes to small town charm and vibrant metro areas featuring a wide selection of hotels,4
21	21	shopping centers, and dining experiences; and5
22	22	WHEREAS, Georgia attracts visitors through local celebrations, family vacations, business6
23	23	conferences, and sporting events; and7
24	24	WHEREAS, Georgia is home to several major sports teams, including the Atlanta Falcons,8
25	25	Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta United, University of Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia9
26	26	Tech Yellow Jackets, and Savannah Bananas, further enhancing tourism appeal; and10
27	27	WHEREAS, Georgia's beaches, mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and scenic trails are natural11
28	28	attractions that draw outdoors enthusiasts to this state; and12
29	29	WHEREAS, Georgia boasts historic landmarks, museums, entertainment venues, and13
30	30	business conferences, welcoming millions of visitors annually; and14
31	31	H. R. 883
32	32	- 1 - 25 LC 59 0177
33	33	WHEREAS, increasing hotel stays boosts local economies, supports businesses, generates
34	34	15
35	35	tax revenue, and creates hospitality jobs; and16
36	36	WHEREAS, encouraging in-state travel, including weekend getaways and staycations,17
37	37	further stimulates economic activity; and18
38	38	WHEREAS, Atlanta will host eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, and each match in19
39	39	Atlanta is expected to generate $4.6 million in global media exposure, enhancing Georgia's20
40	40	reputation as a premier travel destination; and21
41	41	WHEREAS, despite ranking last in tourism marketing funding, Georgia has an opportunity22
42	42	to elevate its profile during the 2026 FIFA World Cup; and23
43	43	WHEREAS, this state has over 2,298 hotels, providing significant potential for economic24
44	44	growth; and25
45	45	WHEREAS, in 2023, Georgia's tourism industry generated a $79.7 billion state-wide26
46	46	economic impact and over $5 billion in state and local tax revenue, supporting 463,000 jobs;27
47	47	and28
48	48	WHEREAS, youth sports represents a growing sector in tourism, attracting visitors and29
49	49	creating new opportunities for economic growth for Georgia; and30
50	50	WHEREAS, a study committee is necessary to identify tourism growth opportunities across31
51	51	all regions, ensuring benefits for both small towns and large cities.32
52	52	H. R. 883
53	53	- 2 - 25 LC 59 0177
54	54	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
55	55	33
56	56	(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee34
57	57	on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism.35
58	58	(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of ten members to be36
59	59	appointed as follows:37
60	60	(A) Five members from the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker38
61	61	of the House of Representatives, three of whom shall be selected from the Committee39
62	62	on Economic Development and Tourism. The remaining two members shall be selected40
63	63	from the House body based on their interest and expertise in tourism;41
64	64	(B) One representative each from the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association, Georgia42
65	65	Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Georgia Restaurant Association,43
66	66	Georgia Sports Tourism Council, and Explore Georgia; and44
67	67	(C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a legislative member45
68	68	of the committee as chairperson of the committee.46
69	69	(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall assess tourism related challenges and47
70	70	opportunities and recommend actions or legislation to support industry growth, with a48
71	71	particular focus on increasing overnight hotel stays.49
72	72	(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee50
73	73	may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or51
74	74	convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and52
75	75	accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.53
76	76	(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.54
77	77	(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided55
78	78	for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.56
79	79	(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,57
80	80	or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the58
81	81	committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the59
82	82	H. R. 883
83	83	- 3 - 25 LC 59 0177
84	84	performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they
85	85	60
86	86	are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.61
87	87	(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state62
88	88	employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that63
89	89	specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia64
90	90	Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state65
91	91	employees.66
92	92	(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member67
93	93	of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds68
94	94	necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds69
95	95	appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement70
96	96	of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the71
97	97	reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated72
98	98	to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.73
99	99	(6) Report.74
100	100	(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that75
101	101	include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the76
102	102	same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to77
103	103	subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.78
104	104	(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for79
105	105	proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)80
106	106	of this paragraph.81
107	107	(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of82
108	108	abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.83
109	109	A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with84
110	110	the Clerk of the House of Representatives.85
111	111	H. R. 883
112	112	- 4 - 25 LC 59 0177
113	113	(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson shall file with the Clerk of
114	114	86
115	115	the House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee87
116	116	in lieu thereof.88
117	117	(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.89
118	118	H. R. 883
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