--- title: SR 217. Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr217 cite_as: SR 217, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr217 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr217.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr217/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70569 date: 2025-04-02 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr216.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr218.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 429 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr217.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 217 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-02 last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted sponsors: - John Kennedy - Billy Hickman - Bo Hatchett - Randy Robertson - Steve Gooch - Shawn Still text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR217/2025 upstream_id: 1976310 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - school absenteeism - education policy - Georgia Senate study committee - student attendance --- # SR 217. Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools; create ## Text 25 LC 61 0130 Senate Resolution 217 By: Senators Kennedy of the 18th, Hickman of the 4th, Hatchett of the 50th, Robertson of the 29th, Gooch of the 51st and others ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, chronic absenteeism impacts over 21.7 percent of students in Georgia; and3 WHEREAS, students who experience chronic absenteeism are more likely to fall behind in4 their academic work, face higher dropout rates, and struggle with long-term success in both5 education and future employment; and6 WHEREAS, absenteeism can be caused by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to,7 health issues, family instability, socioeconomic barriers, tran sportation difficulties, and8 school climate concerns; and9 WHEREAS, addressing chronic absenteeism requires a collaborativ e and multifaceted10 approach that involves school administrators, educators, parent s, policymakers, and11 community organizations; and12 WHEREAS, research has shown that early intervention and targeted support programs can13 significantly reduce chronic absenteeism and its negative effects; and14 S. R. 217 - 1 - 25 LC 61 0130 WHEREAS, thoughtful deliberation through communications with sc hool administrators,15 educators, parents, policymakers, and community organizations will help Georgia develop16 the best solution to this problem faced by our students.17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:18 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee19 on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools.20 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of six members of the21 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The Pre sident shall designate a22 member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.23 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,24 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or25 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.26 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee27 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or28 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and29 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.30 (5) Allowances and funding.31 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided32 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.33 (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member34 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds35 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds36 appropriated to the Senate.37 (6) Report.38 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that39 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the40 S. R. 217 - 2 - 25 LC 61 0130 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to41 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.42 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for43 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)44 of this paragraph.45 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of46 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 47 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with48 the Secretary of the Senate.49 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary50 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.51 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.52 S. R. 217 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Senate resolution creates the Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools, tasking six senators with studying student absenteeism and recommending possible legislation before the committee ends on December 1, 2025. ### Plain-language summary More than 21.7 percent of Georgia students are chronically absent from school, which the resolution says increases dropout rates and hurts long-term academic and career success. Rather than changing any law directly, this resolution sets up a temporary Senate study committee to look into the causes of chronic absenteeism, such as health issues, family instability, transportation problems, and school climate, and to consider ways to address them. The committee will have six senators appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom will serve as chairperson. It can hold meetings as needed, and members receive standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five days unless more are approved. If the committee approves findings or legislative recommendations, the chairperson must file a report with the Secretary of the Senate. The committee automatically ends on December 1, 2025. ### What it does - Creates the Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools to examine why students miss school and what can be done about it. - Directs the President of the Senate to appoint six senators to the committee and name one as chairperson. - Authorizes the committee to hold meetings and study the causes of absenteeism, including health, family instability, transportation, and school climate issues. - Allows committee members to receive standard per diem legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five meeting days unless more days are approved. - Requires the chairperson to file any approved findings or legislative recommendations with the Secretary of the Senate. - Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025. ### Who it affects The six senators appointed to the committee, the President of the Senate who appoints them, and indirectly Georgia's public school students, parents, teachers, and administrators whose absenteeism issues the committee will study and may eventually propose legislation to address. ### Why it matters The resolution does not change any law itself, but it sets the stage for future legislation on chronic absenteeism by gathering input from educators, parents, and community groups. Any concrete impact on schools or families would depend on what the committee recommends and whether lawmakers act on it later. ### Key provisions - Paragraph (1) creates the Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools. - Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at six senators appointed by the President of the Senate, with one designated chairperson. - Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying absenteeism-related conditions and recommending action or legislation it deems necessary. - Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized, funded through Senate appropriations. - Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings, recommendations, or minutes to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate. - Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: John Kennedy, Billy Hickman, Bo Hatchett, Randy Robertson, Steve Gooch, Shawn Still - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70569 > The history, votes, and amendments (429 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr217.md?full=1