--- title: SR 323. Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr323 cite_as: SR 323, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr323 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr323.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr323/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71057 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/sr322.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr324.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 556 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr323.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 323 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-02 last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute sponsors: - Drew Echols - Brandon Beach - Sam Watson - Timothy Bearden - Max Burns - Greg Dolezal - Bo Hatchett - Kay Kirkpatrick - Jason Esteves - Russ Goodman - Josh McLaurin - Carden Summers - Sally Harrell - RaShaun Kemp - Marty Harbin - Chuck Hufstetler - Shawn Still - Frank Ginn text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR323/2025 upstream_id: 1989310 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - tourism - Georgia Senate - study committee - economic development --- # SR 323. Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; create ## Text 25 LC 60 0154S (SCS) Senate Resolution 323 By: Senators Echols of the 49th, Beach of the 21st, Watson of the 11th, Bearden of the 30th, Burns of the 23rd and others ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, Georgia has a robust history that demonstrates the resilience and strength of a3 diverse population, from being a cultural center for Native American tribes, the last British4 colony on mainland North America and playing a strategic role in the American Revolution,5 through the Civil War and Reconstruction, surviving the Great Depression, and to the Civil6 Rights movement; and7 WHEREAS, Georgia hosts an amazing collection of local celebrations and festivals for both8 locals and visitors to enjoy, such as the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Oktoberfest in Helen, the9 International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, and the Saint P atrick's Day Parade in10 Savannah; and11 WHEREAS, Georgia has a collection of fantastic sports teams for fans of all sports to cheer12 on to victory, including but not limited to the Atlanta Falcons , Atlanta Braves, Atlanta13 Hawks, Atlanta United, University of Georgia Bulldogs, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets;14 and15 S. R. 323 - 1 - 25 LC 60 0154S (SCS) WHEREAS, Georgia has beautiful vistas and natural resources meant to be seen and savored,16 including mountains, canyons, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and beaches; and17 WHEREAS, Georgia is a popular tourist destination with many attractions, including historic18 sites, engaging museums, cultural destinations, sporting events, entertainment venues, and19 outdoor activities; and20 WHEREAS, in 2023, Georgia travel and tourism generated a $79.7 billion state wide21 economic impact with more than $5 billion collected in state and local tax revenues; and22 WHEREAS, Atlanta is scheduled to host eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, and each23 match in Atlanta is expected to generate $4.6 million in global media exposure; and24 WHEREAS, a study committee is needed to discover opportunities to promote and develop25 tourism in all regions of the state, from small towns to big cities, to ensure Georgia becomes26 the number one state for tourism.27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:28 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee29 on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism.30 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the31 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, with one member selected from the32 Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, one member from the Senate33 Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, and one member from the Senate34 Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment. The remain ing two members35 shall be selected from the Senate body based on their interest and experience in tourism. 36 S. R. 323 - 2 - 25 LC 60 0154S (SCS) The President shall designate a member of the committee as chai rperson of the37 committee.38 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,39 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or40 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.41 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee42 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or43 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and44 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.45 (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive46 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia47 Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any48 member of the committee for more than four days unless additional days are authorized. 49 Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds50 appropriated to the Senate.51 (6) Report.52 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that53 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the54 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to55 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.56 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for57 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)58 of this paragraph.59 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of60 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.61 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with62 the Secretary of the Senate.63 S. R. 323 - 3 - 25 LC 60 0154S (SCS) (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary64 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.65 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.66 S. R. 323 - 4 - ## 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 a five-member Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism, tasked with studying how to boost tourism statewide before disbanding in December 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution sets up a temporary study committee in the Georgia Senate focused on tourism. The committee will have five members appointed by the President of the Senate, drawn from the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development and Tourism, and Natural Resources and the Environment committees, plus two additional senators chosen for their interest or experience in tourism. The committee is directed to study conditions, needs, and issues related to tourism across Georgia and recommend legislation or other action. It can meet as often as needed, with members receiving standard legislative allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to four days unless more are approved, funded through existing Senate appropriations. If the committee approves a report, the chairperson must file it with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2025. ### What it does - Establishes the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism to study tourism opportunities statewide. - Sets committee membership at five senators, drawn from specific Senate committees and two chosen for tourism interest or experience. - Authorizes the committee to hold meetings and study issues related to tourism, with power to recommend legislation. - Provides for legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at four days unless additional days are authorized, funded from Senate appropriations. - Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee ends. - Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2025. ### Who it affects This resolution directly affects members of the Georgia Senate who will serve on the study committee, particularly those on the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development and Tourism, and Natural Resources and the Environment committees. It also indirectly concerns Georgia's tourism industry and local governments that could be affected by future recommendations. ### Why it matters The committee itself makes no policy changes, but its study and any resulting recommendations could shape future legislation affecting how Georgia funds, promotes, or regulates tourism in cities and small towns, potentially influencing businesses and communities that rely on visitor spending. ### Key provisions - Paragraph 1 creates the Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism. - Paragraph 2 sets membership at five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, including representatives from three specific Senate committees and two members chosen for tourism expertise. - Paragraph 3 charges the committee with studying tourism-related conditions and recommending action or legislation. - Paragraph 5 caps legislative allowances at four days under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 unless more days are approved, funded through Senate appropriations. - Paragraph 6 requires any approved report or recommendations to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee is abolished. - Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Drew Echols, Brandon Beach, Sam Watson, Timothy Bearden, Max Burns, Greg Dolezal, Bo Hatchett, Kay Kirkpatrick, Jason Esteves, Russ Goodman, Josh McLaurin, Carden Summers, Sally Harrell, RaShaun Kemp, Marty Harbin, Chuck Hufstetler, Shawn Still, Frank Ginn - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71057 > The history, votes, and amendments (556 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr323.md?full=1