08 LC
35 0786
Senate
Resolution 820
By:
Senators Mullis of the 53rd and Tolleson of the 20th
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Study Committee; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the Department of Natural Resources law enforcement responsibilities are
critical to public safety, homeland security, and protection of our natural
resources; and
WHEREAS,
that law enforcement responsibility of the department is divided into two
categories, one established in Code Section 27-1-16, relating to conservation
rangers, and one established in Code Section 27-1-17, relating to the authority
of the Board of Natural Resources to appoint deputy conservation rangers; and
WHEREAS,
there is a need to review the laws relating to the Department of Natural
Resources law enforcement to determine whether any reform, revision, or
modernization of such laws is necessary and appropriate so as to better fulfill
the purposes of such laws and the public safety, homeland security, and natural
resource protection needs of this state.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Study
Committee to be composed of ten members as follows: five members of the Senate
to be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be the
chairperson of the Senate Public Safety Committee who shall serve as
cochairperson of the committee and one of whom shall be the chairperson of the
Senate Veterans Affairs, Military and Homeland Security Committee; and five
members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, one of whom shall be the chairperson of the House
Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security who shall serve as
cochairperson of the committee. The cochairpersons shall call all meetings of
the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times 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 members of the committee shall receive the
allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated. All funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution
shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and the
Senate. The expenses and allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be
received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless
additional days are authorized. 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 1, 2008. The committee
shall stand abolished on January 1, 2009.