House Bill 919

Chair's Name: Bill Hembree

Committee: Higher Education

House Sponsor: Bill Hembree

HB 919 seeks to give the legislature broader oversight of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. Section 1 changes the make up of the board, changing it to nine members, three members being appointed each by the Speaker, Lt. Governor, and Governor. Section 2 gives the board of directors the authority to approve, disapprove, amend, or modify any bonuses or incentive packages recommended by the CEO. Section 3 requires the CEO to include a detailed accounting of all of the proposed bonuses and incentives in the prepared budget. Section 5 makes changes to the joint Georgia Lottery Corporation Legislative Oversight Committee membership to include 6 specified committee chairmen from each the House and Senate, and two additional House and Senate members appointed each by the Speaker and Lt. Governor. The Georgia Lottery Corporation is required to provide to the oversight committee a complete report of the corporation’s salaries and incentive packages each year on December 1. 

This committee substitute comes to the Floor under the Open Rule. 

Chairman Hembree’s Opinion of the legislation:

This Bill adds to the duties of the Georgia Lottery Corporation Board of Directors, requiring them to approve, disapprove, amend, or modify any bonuses or incentive packages.  Recently Georgia Lottery Corporation executives gave themselves large bonuses after a successful year of increased lottery revenues. The Bill creates a Georgia Lottery Corporation Legislative Oversight Committee to generate yearly reports of the corporation’s salaries and incentive packages.