Representative Horner proposes reinstating House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee and expanding Speaker audit authority

Representative Horner presented House Bill 1178 (LC 590374S) to a Georgia House committee, saying the measure restores the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee to statute and adds a provision giving the Speaker of the House authority to audit anything state funding touches.

The bill, Horner said, is “word for word” from the previous statute except for added language on audit authority; he told the committee it passed unanimously in committee. The measure is listed on the supplemental calendar for consideration.

A committee member asked which entity would perform audits under the bill. Horner replied the auditing entity could be an outside party and that discussions had included DOAA, but the bill leaves the choice to the Speaker’s discretion rather than mandating a particular department.

Representative Hughley asked whether the committee (and by extension the House) would have authority to investigate any agency. Horner confirmed the authority would extend to “anything that state funding touches.”

The presenter characterized the bill as a straightforward statutory restoration with the added audit power. Horner told the committee it had already cleared committee unanimously; the meeting set the bill on the supplemental calendar for further consideration.