SR474: SR474 Senate Study Committee on Higher Education Affordability; create

25 LC 61 0254 Senate Resolution 474 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Dixon of the 45th, Harbison of the 15th, Burns of the 23rd and Harrell of the 40th ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on Higher Education Afforda bility; and fo r other1 purposes.2 WHEREAS, Georgia has the third highest graduate and undergraduate student loan debt per3 borrower in the nation; and4 WHEREAS, by 2031, 72 percent of all jobs will require postsecon dary credentials and5 currently Georgia has a postsecondary completion rate of 50.8 percent among young adults;6 and7 WHEREAS, unlike many other states, Georgia does not have a mean s tested scholarship8 program; and9 WHEREAS, the amount of unrestricted education lottery reserves currently totals $1.610 billion; and11 WHEREAS, this body should explore options for making higher education more affordable12 for Georgians, including the creation of a means tested scholarship program.13 S. R. 474 - 1 - 25 LC 61 0254 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:14 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee15 on Higher Education Affordability.16 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the17 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President shall designate one18 member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.19 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,20 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or21 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.22 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee23 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or24 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and25 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.26 (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive27 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia28 Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any29 member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. 30 Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds31 appropriated to the Senate.32 (6) Report.33 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that34 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the35 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to36 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.37 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for38 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)39 of this paragraph.40 S. R. 474 - 2 - 25 LC 61 0254 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of41 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.42 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with43 the Secretary of the Senate.44 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary45 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.46 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.47 S. R. 474 - 3 -