--- title: SR 320. National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr320 cite_as: SR 320, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr320 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr320.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr320/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71051 date: 2025-03-03 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 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/sr319.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr321.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr320.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 320 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-28 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Jason Esteves - Harold Jones - Kenya Wicks - Josh McLaurin - Freddie Sims - Nikki Merritt - Nabilah Islam Parkes - Sheikh Rahman - Tonya Anderson - Ed Harbison - Emanuel Jones - Michael Rhett - Donzella James - Nan Orrock - RaShaun Kemp - Sally Harrell - Gail Davenport - Elena Parent - David Lucas - Derek Mallow - Sonya Halpern - Randal Mangham text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR320/2025 upstream_id: 1989268 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - National Statuary Hall - Jimmy Carter - Alexander Hamilton Stephens - U.S. Capitol statues - Georgia history --- # SR 320. National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee; create ## Text Senate Resolution 320 By: Senators Esteves of the 35th, Jones II of the 22nd, Wicks of the 34th, McLaurin of the 14th, Sims of the 12th and others A RESOLUTION Creating the National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, in 1864, the United States Congress established the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol and authorized each state to contribute to the collection two statues that represent important historic figures of each state; and WHEREAS, Georgia currently has on display in the National Statuary Hall Collection statues of Dr. Crawford W. Long and Alexander Hamilton Stephens; and WHEREAS, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. § 2132, a state may request that the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approve the replacement of a statue the state has provided for display in the National Statuary Hall Collection; and WHEREAS, the late President James Earl Carter Jr. was a distinguished Georgian who served as Georgia State Senator and Governor of Georgia; served as President of the United States; co-founded The Carter Center with his wife and equal partner, Rosalynn Carter; received a Nobel Peace Price; championed civil and human rights; and became the longest living United States President at 100 years old; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this esteemed historic Georgian be appropriately recognized in the United States Capitol. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of President Jimmy Carter and approve the replacement of the state's statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens with a statue of President Jimmy Carter in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: (1) Creation of committee. There is created the National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee to facilitate the replacement of the Alexander Hamilton Stephens statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection with a statue of President Jimmy Carter. (2) Members and officers. (A) The committee shall be composed of eight members. (B) The Governor shall appoint four members of the committee and shall designate one of such members as chairperson. (C) The Lieutenant Governor shall appoint two members of the committee. (D) The Speaker of the House shall appoint two members of the committee. (3) Duties. The committee shall: (A) Determine a suitable location in the state for placement of the Alexander Hamilton Stephens statue. Once a suitable location is decided upon, the committee shall immediately transmit to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House minutes of the committee meeting indicating such location; (B) Select a sculptor to create a statue of President Jimmy Carter; (C) Review and approve the plans for the new statue; (D) Estimate the costs associated with the replacement of the statue, including the costs for: (i) The sculptor for creating the statue; (ii) The design and fabrication of the pedestal; (iii) The transportation of the statue and pedestal to the United States Capitol; (iv) The removal and transportation of the replaced statue; (v) The temporary placement of the new statue in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol for the unveiling ceremony; (vi) The unveiling ceremony; and (vii) Any other expenses that the committee determines are necessary to incur; and (E) Identify a method for obtaining, and obtain, private funding to pay for all costs associated with the replacement of the statue. (4) Powers. In carrying out its duties, the committee may enter into contracts, memorandums of understanding, and collaborative arrangements; seek, receive, and expend private funding for the costs for replacing the statue; and undertake all other lawful acts that are necessary to accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. (5) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. (6) Allowances, expenses, and funding. (A) Except as provided in paragraphs (B) and (C) of this subsection, all costs of implementation of the committee and its work shall come from private funds raised, bequeathed, or granted to the committee. (B) Legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Such allowances shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of Representatives. (C) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members, or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees. Such expenses shall be paid from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to the members' respective agencies. (D) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state employees shall receive no compensation, allowances, or reimbursement for expenses. (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: (1) Upon the committee's selection of a location in the state for the statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens as provided in this resolution, the Governor shall submit a written request to the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress for approval of the replacement of the statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens with a statue of President Jimmy Carter. Such request shall include a description of the location in the state where the replaced statue will be displayed after it is transferred to the state and a copy of this resolution authorizing the replacement. (2) If the request is approved by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, the state and the Architect of the Capitol shall enter into an agreement to carry out the replacement, as provided in 2 U.S.C. § 2132(b). ## 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 Georgia Senate resolution would replace the state's statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall with a statue of former President Jimmy Carter, and creates a committee to carry it out. ### Plain-language summary Georgia currently has two statues on display in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol: one of Dr. Crawford W. Long and one of Alexander Hamilton Stephens. Federal law lets a state ask Congress's Library committee to approve swapping out a statue it has contributed. This resolution formally approves replacing the Stephens statue with one honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who served as a Georgia state senator, governor, and U.S. president before his death. The resolution creates an eight-member National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee, appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and House Speaker, to pick a new in-state location for the Stephens statue, hire a sculptor, estimate costs, and raise private funding to pay for the replacement. The committee is set to dissolve on December 1, 2025. If federal officials approve, Georgia would then work with the Architect of the Capitol to complete the swap. ### What it does - Approves replacing Georgia's statue of Alexander Hamilton Stephens in the National Statuary Hall Collection with a statue of former President Jimmy Carter. - Creates an eight-member committee, with four appointees from the Governor and two each from the Lieutenant Governor and House Speaker, to manage the replacement. - Directs the committee to choose a new Georgia location for the removed Stephens statue and to hire a sculptor for the new Carter statue. - Requires the committee to estimate all costs of the swap, including sculpting, pedestal fabrication, transport, and the unveiling ceremony, and to raise private funds to cover them. - Sets the committee to automatically dissolve on December 1, 2025. - Directs the Governor, once a location is chosen, to formally request approval from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. ### Who it affects The resolution primarily affects state government officials, including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House, who appoint the replacement committee, along with the committee's members, any sculptor hired, and private donors who would fund the project. It also touches the U.S. Capitol's Architect and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, which must approve the swap. ### Why it matters If completed, one of Georgia's two statues in the U.S. Capitol would change from Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a Confederate vice president, to Jimmy Carter. The process depends on private fundraising rather than state tax dollars and requires federal approval before the swap can happen. ### Key provisions - The resolved clause formally approves replacing the Stephens statue with a statue of President Jimmy Carter in the National Statuary Hall Collection. - Paragraph (1) creates the National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee with eight members appointed by the Governor (4), Lieutenant Governor (2), and House Speaker (2). - Paragraph (3) lists committee duties: choosing a new location for the Stephens statue, selecting a sculptor, approving statue plans, estimating costs, and securing private funding. - Paragraph (6) specifies that costs come from private funds, though legislative members receive standard legislative allowances paid from appropriated funds. - Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. - The final section directs the Governor to submit a formal replacement request to the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress once a location for the old statue is chosen. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-28) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-03-03) - Sponsors: Jason Esteves, Harold Jones, Kenya Wicks, Josh McLaurin, Freddie Sims, Nikki Merritt, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Sheikh Rahman, Tonya Anderson, Ed Harbison, Emanuel Jones, Michael Rhett, Donzella James, Nan Orrock, RaShaun Kemp, Sally Harrell, Gail Davenport, Elena Parent, David Lucas, Derek Mallow, Sonya Halpern, Randal Mangham - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71051 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr320.md?full=1