SR216: SR216 Senate Study Committee on Vulnerable Roadway Users; create

25 LC 39 4701S (SCS) Senate Resolution 216 By: Senators Parent of the 44th, Albers of the 56th, Hufstetler of the 52nd, Jackson of the 41st, Kennedy of the 18th and others ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on Vulnerable Roadway Users; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in Georgia have rise n from 11 percent to 192 percent over the past 15 years; and3 WHEREAS, Georgia ranked as the sixth-most dangerous state for p edestrians, according4 to 2022 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data; and5 WHEREAS, under Georgia law, striking a pedestrian is often trea ted as a minor offense6 unless injuries meet the high threshold of serious; and7 WHEREAS, serious injuries are frequently underreported when com paring police crash8 reports to Department of Public Health hospital impact and emergency room visit data in the9 Georgia Emergency Medical Services Information System and the Georgia Trauma Registry;10 and11 WHEREAS, some laws relating to traffic violations bureaus have not been amended in more12 than 50 years and thus allow defendants to bypass court appeara nces and accountability,13 S. R. 216 - 1 - 25 LC 39 4701S (SCS) leaving victims, including pedestrians and cyclists, without the opportunity to present victim14 impact statements; and15 WHEREAS, Georgia's infrastructure budgets and plans should be r eviewed to ensure16 investments are being made in safety countermeasures to reduce roadway fatalities and17 injuries; and18 WHEREAS, study of Georgia law is needed to determine appropriate penalties for harming19 vulnerable roadway users and to improve enforcement mechanisms, including revisions to20 violations of law handled in traffic violations bureaus.21 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:22 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee23 on Vulnerable Roadway Users.24 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the25 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President shall designate one26 member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.27 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,28 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or29 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.30 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee31 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or32 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and33 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.34 (5) Allowances and funding.35 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided36 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.37 S. R. 216 - 2 - 25 LC 39 4701S (SCS) (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member38 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds39 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds40 appropriated to the Senate.41 (6) Report.42 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that43 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the44 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to45 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.46 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for47 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)48 of this paragraph.49 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of50 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.51 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with52 the Secretary of the Senate.53 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary54 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.55 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.56 S. R. 216 - 3 -