SB 222: Commission for the Blind and the Visually Impaired; create

Georgia currently runs services for blind and visually impaired residents, including the Georgia Industries for the Blind and vending facility licenses, through the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. This bill would create a new, separate Commission for the Blind and the Visually Impaired to take over those duties starting July 1, 2025. The commission would be assigned to the Department of Human Services only for administrative housekeeping, not day-to-day control. The bill sets up an eight-member commission (a chairperson plus seven members appointed by the Governor, House Speaker, and Senate President), most of whom must be blind or visually impaired, with at least one deaf-blind member. It creates an executive director position, spells out the commission's powers (vocational rehabilitation services, independent living programs, the business enterprises vending program, deaf-blind services oversight, an annual report, and a complaint and arbitration process). It also updates the Vocational Rehabilitation Agency's own vending facility law so that agency handles licensing for people with disabilities other than blind persons, while the new commission licenses blind vendors.

• Creates the Commission for the Blind and the Visually Impaired and transfers to it the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency's duties toward blind or visually impaired persons, effective July 1, 2025.
• Moves direction and supervision of the Georgia Industries for the Blind from the Vocational Rehabilitation Agency to the new commission.
• Establishes an eight-member commission (chairperson plus seven members) appointed by the Governor, House Speaker, and Senate President, with a majority required to be blind or visually impaired and at least one member deaf-blind.
• Creates an executive director position to run daily operations and hire staff for the commission.
• Gives the commission authority to license blind people to run vending facilities on state, county, municipal, federal, and private property, taking that specific licensing role away from the Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.
• Transfers oversight of deaf-blind services (helping people with both hearing and vision loss reach independence and employment) to the new commission and repeals the old Code section governing that oversight.

Blind and visually impaired Georgians who use rehabilitation, independent living, or vending-license services; deaf-blind individuals needing specialized services; employees and licensees of the Georgia Industries for the Blind; the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, which loses some duties; and state, county, and federal property managers that host vending facilities.

If enacted, blind and visually impaired Georgians would get services from a dedicated new commission rather than a division of a broader rehabilitation agency, with a governing board required to include blind and deaf-blind members. Vending facility licensing for blind operators would move to the new commission, changing which agency they deal with for licenses and disputes.

• Section 1 transfers direction and supervision of the Georgia Industries for the Blind from the Vocational Rehabilitation Agency to the new commission (O.C.G.A. § 30-2-3).
• Section 4 adds a new Chapter 11 to Title 30 creating the commission, defining 'blind or visually impaired' and 'commission,' and stating the legislative purpose of ensuring lifelong access to quality services.
• Code Section 30-11-4 sets the transfer date of July 1, 2025 and assigns the commission to the Department of Human Services for administrative purposes only.
• Code Section 30-11-5 sets the commission's composition: a chairperson and seven members appointed by the Governor (four total), House Speaker (two), and Senate President (two), with staggered three-year terms.
• Code Section 30-11-7 lists the commission's duties, including running a state vocational rehabilitation plan, a business enterprises vending program, an industries for the blind program, and coordinating library services for the blind.
• Code Section 30-11-8 authorizes the commission to license blind persons to operate vending facilities on state, county, federal, and private property.
• Code Section 30-11-9 requires the commission to oversee deaf-blind services and contract with a qualified organization to deliver and train staff on those services, subject to funding.
• Code Section 30-11-11 creates a complaint process for dissatisfied applicants or recipients, including voluntary mediation and a three-member arbitration panel.

1. 2025-02-21Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-20Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)Primary sponsor
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)

• blind and visually impaired services
• disability services
• vocational rehabilitation
• state agency creation
• vending facility licensing