State Representative Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, who represents all of Chattooga County and a portion of Floyd County, has been named Vice Chair of a new House committee tasked with investigating the rapidly increasing cost of insurance in Georgia.

Lumsden will join a 17-member panel known as the House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates, established by Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns. The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol in Atlanta.

The committee’s primary objective is to thoroughly examine the reasons behind the swift rise in various insurance rates, including auto, home, and health coverage. Lawmakers on the panel will scrutinize how rates are determined, the methods insurance companies employ in handling claims, and whether profits and regulatory policies are being managed equitably. Their crucial role will be to ascertain if Georgia residents and businesses are being subjected to unfair or unnecessary rate hikes.

In addition to the initial meeting at the Capitol, the committee plans to conduct four more public hearings across the state later this year, providing opportunities for broader input and examination. Any findings or proposed changes to state law that emerge from their investigations will be compiled into a final report, which is due before the next legislative session begins in January.

Representative Lumsden’s appointment is significant for Northwest Georgia, particularly for the residents of Chattooga and Floyd counties, ensuring that the region will have a strong voice and direct representation at the forefront of the state’s efforts to find solutions to the escalating burden of insurance costs.