SR799.html

Creating a Joint House and Senate Study Committee on the Certification or Licensure of Home Builders and Commercial General Contractors; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, home building and commercial general contracting represent two of Georgia's largest industries; and

WHEREAS, Georgia currently has no state licensing and certification requirements for home builders and commercial general contractors; and

WHEREAS, many local governments have adopted local ordinances requiring licensure without uniformity or consistency; and

WHEREAS, this lack of consistent regulation has lead to confusion among the industry and has not provided adequate safeguards for the consumer of construction services.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is created the Joint House and Senate Study Committee on the Certification or Licensure of Home Builders and Commercial General Contractors to investigate the benefit and need of state-wide regulation of the home builders and commercial general contractors industries in Georgia. The committee shall be composed of three members of the House of Representatives, two industry representatives, and one consumer advocate to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three members of the Senate, two industry representatives, and one consumer advocate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House and the President of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate who shall serve as cochairpersons of the committee. The committee shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems described in this resolution and issues related thereto and may recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such times and places as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall receive the same for not more than six days unless additional days are authorized. The citizen members of the committee shall receive a daily expense allowance in the amount specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the O.C.G.A. as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state employees. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2002. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2002.