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Georgia Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced Tuesday the creation of a committee that will look for ways to make the state government more transparent. Burns said the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee will conduct reviews of state agencies to determine their compliance with code and to ensure that legislative intent was considered during the rule-making process.

Rep. Steve Tarvin, R-Chickamauga, will serve as Chair of the Committee, and Rep. Mitchell Horner, R-Ringgold, will serve as Vice-Chair.

“Our government works best when it’s working for the people—and that includes our departments and agencies,” said Burns. “Since 2013, the Georgia House has championed efforts to identify and eliminate barriers to business growth across the state. This critical work will continue under the leadership of Chairman Tarvin who has been tasked with leading our efforts to cut through burdensome bureaucratic regulations, demand transparency and efficiency from our state agencies, and ensure that legislative intent is maintained at every stage of the rule-making process.

“The standing Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee will continue to build on our years of tireless work in the House to ensure our state maintains an environment where businesses of every size can thrive,” added Burns.

The committee is responsible for holding hearings to monitor the spending programs within the state’s budget.

“I’m honored that the Committee on Assignments has entrusted me to conduct this important work on behalf of the citizens and businesses who call Georgia home,” said Tarvin. “We will work to eliminate regulatory burdens and ensure our great state maintains our designation as the Number One Place to do Business.”

The Senate is also looking at this issue. Last week, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announced a priority for the 2025 Legislative Session, a state-level DOGE, the “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025”. He said the Act builds on the work done during the 2024 session to cut government regulation, boost small businesses, and expand economic opportunities throughout Georgia.

The “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025” has several features. Jones explained that to ensure efficiency, all state agencies will be required to complete a top-to-bottom review of all agency rules and regulations every four years. The bill will require agencies to account for the economic impact of all proposed rules and provide economic reports to the General Assembly when major rules are proposed. Under this initiative, state agencies will also be directed to reduce compliance and paperwork burdens on small businesses, when feasible. The bill will also give legislators the ability to request a “Small Business Impact Analysis” for pending legislation to better understand how a bill might impact Georgia’s most important job creators.