Speaker Jon Burns Appoints Members of House & Joint Study Committees

ATLANTA – Speaker of the House Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced the members of several House & Joint Study Committees today. These committees were created by legislation adopted during the 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly.


House Study Committee on Fishing Access to Freshwater Resources

  • Rep. James Burchett – Chair (R-Waycross)
  • Rep. David Jenkins (R-Grantville)
  • Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway)
  • Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan)
  • Rep. Stan Gunter (R-Blairsville)
  • Rep. Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro)
  • Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia)
  • Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton)
  • Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain)
  • Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin)
  • Rep. Mack Jackson (D-Sandersville)
  • Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville)

Created by House Resolution 519, the House Study Committee on Fishing Access to Freshwater Resources will examine the public’s right to fish in Georgia’s freshwater resources and examine any inconsistencies or conflicts in the law between the public’s right to fish and private property rights.

House Study Committee on Certificate of Need Modernization

Legislative Members

  • Rep. Butch Parrish – Chair (R-Swainsboro)
  • Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta)
  • Rep. James Beverly (D-Macon)
  • Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta)
  • Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville)
  • Rep. Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons)
  • Rep. Mike Cameron (R-Rossville)

Non-Legislative Members

  • Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice – President & CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Scott Raynes – President & CEO, Southeast Georgia Health System
  • Sheryl Bluestein – Vice President of Operations, Emory Healthcare
  • Debbie Meade – CEO, Health Management

Created by House Resolution 603, the House Study Committee on Certificate of Need Modernization will examine Georgia’s healthcare regulations to determine how to best ensure access to high-quality, affordable healthcare throughout Georgia.

Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages

Legislative Members

  • Rep. Matt Dubnik – Chair (R-Gainesville)
  • Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick)
  • Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta)
  • Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins)

Non-Legislative Member

  • Trey Sheppard – President, Howard Sheppard, LLC

Created by Senate Resolution 175, the Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages will examine Georgia’s existing dual enrollment opportunities to develop highly skilled talent at younger ages and identify potential solutions that will yield more dual enrollment participants.

Senate Resolution 175:  Joint Study Committee on Service Delivery Strategy

Legislative Members

  • Rep. John LaHood – Chair (R-Valdosta)
  • Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta)
  • Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon)

Non-Legislative Members

  • Wesley Corbitt – Chairman, Effingham County Board of Commissioners
  • Derek Norton – Mayor, City of Smyrna

Created by Senate Resolution 175, the Joint Study Committee on Service Delivery Strategy will examine service delivery strategy and recommend any legislative action to improve or otherwise revise the intergovernmental negotiation process among cities and counties of this state.

Further information about these study committees may be found at https://legis.ga.gov.

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