SB326: SB326 Handicapped Persons; a program for support service providers to assist blind and deaf-blind individuals in navigating employment and higher education opportunities; provide

Georgia currently has no dedicated program to pay for personal assistants who help blind or deaf-blind residents navigate job searches and college life. This bill would add a new chapter to Title 30 of Georgia's code creating the 'Georgia Support Service Provider Act of 2025.' It sets up a Support Service Provider Program run by the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, which would contract with nonprofits and independent providers to offer help such as job application support, workplace orientation, college enrollment assistance, and campus navigation. A nine member advisory committee appointed by the Governor would guide the program's design. The program must be fully operational by January 1, 2027, and priority for services goes to low-income residents and those in underserved rural areas. Starting December 1, 2027, the agency must file annual public reports on outcomes. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law.

• Creates a new Support Service Provider Program inside the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency to fund trained providers who assist blind and deaf-blind residents.
• Establishes a nine-member Support Service Provider Program Advisory Committee appointed by the Governor to guide how the program is built and run.
• Directs the agency to contract with nonprofit organizations and independent providers to deliver employment and higher education assistance.
• Requires the program to be fully operational by January 1, 2027, and gives priority access to low-income and rural residents.
• Allows the agency to accept private donations and pursue federal funding to pay for the program.
• Requires the agency to publish an annual public report starting December 1, 2027 on how many people were served and the outcomes achieved.

Blind and deaf-blind Georgians seeking jobs or postsecondary education, the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, nonprofit organizations and independent contractors who would provide the services, disability advocates and business leaders serving on the new advisory committee, and higher education institutions.

Blind and deaf-blind Georgians who currently lack personal help navigating job applications, workplaces, or college campuses could gain access to trained assistants paid for through a state-run program, potentially making it easier to find work or complete a degree, especially for low-income and rural residents given priority.

• Code Section 30-11-3 defines key terms including 'blind,' 'deaf-blind,' 'employment assistance,' and 'higher education assistance.'
• Code Section 30-11-4 creates the nine-member advisory committee, sets two-year terms, and requires quarterly meetings and initial recommendations by January 1, 2026.
• Code Section 30-11-5 puts the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in charge of running the program, requires it to be fully operational by January 1, 2027, and directs priority for low-income and rural residents.
• Code Section 30-11-6 authorizes the agency to accept private donations and pursue federal funding to support the program.
• Code Section 30-11-7 requires an annual public report starting December 1, 2027 covering people served, outcomes, spending, and recommendations.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the bill otherwise becoming law.

1. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-06Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)Primary sponsor
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)

• disability services
• blind and deaf-blind assistance
• vocational rehabilitation
• higher education access
• employment support