ATLANTA – State Representative Matt Hatchett (R- Dublin) was recently reappointed by Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) to serve on the House Rural Development Council for the 2019-2020 legislative term. This Council, which was reauthorized by House Resolution 214 during the 2019 legislative session, will continue to work with rural communities to find ways to encourage economic growth.
“I am honored and excited to be reappointed to the House Rural Development Council for another term,” said Rep. Hatchett. “Since the Council’s inception in 2017, my colleagues and I have traveled to all corners of our state to explore the unique challenges in rural Georgia. I am proud of the work that the Council has done over the last two years, and I look forward to continuing to develop policy solutions to help rural Georgia grow and prosper.”
During the 2019 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate passed several key pieces of legislation aimed at boosting economies in rural Georgia. House Bills 186, 224, 287, 321 and Senate Bills 2, 17 and 66 are all rural development-related measures that received final passage during this legislative session.
Rep. Hatchett helped craft House Bills 186 and 321, both of which address health care policy needs in rural Georgia. HB 186 revises Certificate of Need (CON) provisions, extends the Rural Hospital Tax Credit and creates the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination. HB 321 includes provisions relating to hospital transparency, extends the Rural Hospital Tax Credit to 2024 and extends the Hospital Provider Payment Program to 2025.
Council meeting dates and locations for the remainder of 2019 will be announced in the future. Further information about the House Rural Development Council can be found here: http://www.house.ga.gov/Committees/en-US/HouseRuralDevelopmentCouncil.aspx.
The text of House Resolution 214, which reauthorized the House Rural Development Council, can be found here: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20192020/HR/214.
Representative Matt Hatchett represents the citizens of District 150, which includes Treutlen County and portions of Johnson and Laurens counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as House Majority Caucus Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Rules Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and the Economic Development & Tourism, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Ethics and Health & Human Services committees.
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