--- title: SR 429. Senate Addressing Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia's Constitution Study Committee; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr429 cite_as: SR 429, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr429 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr429.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr429/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71512 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/sr428.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr430.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 429 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr429.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 429 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: - Max Burns - Josh McLaurin - Harold Jones - Chuck Payne - Sonya Halpern text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR429/2025 upstream_id: 2012197 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - felony disenfranchisement - voting rights - criminal justice reform - Georgia Constitution - reentry and reintegration --- # SR 429. Senate Addressing Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia's Constitution Study Committee; create ## Text 25 LC 60 0148 Senate Resolution 429 By: Senators Burns of the 23rd, McLaurin of the 14th, Jones II of the 22nd, Payne of the 54th and Halpern of the 39th ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Addressing Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia's Constitution Study1 Committee; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the civil rights of all individuals should be protected and respected; and3 WHEREAS, felony disenfranchisement is a significant barrier to full reintegration into4 society for individuals who have been convicted of a crime, but who have completed their5 custodial sentence and are actively contributing to their commu nity by paying taxes and6 fulfilling other civic duties and responsibilities; and7 WHEREAS, Georgia has one of the longest parole and probationary periods in the nation and8 the highest number of individuals under supervision per capita of any state, which should not9 serve as a barrier to the successful reintegration of individuals who have been released from10 incarceration and are working to rebuild their lives and be invested in their communities; and11 WHEREAS, Georgia's Constitution, under the felony disenfranchisement clause, currently12 prevents individuals from fully participating in democracy by denying them the right to vote,13 even after they have been released into their communities to se rve the remainder of their14 sentences and are engaged in their communities as law-abiding citizens; and15 S. R. 429 - 1 - 25 LC 60 0148 WHEREAS, a study committee is needed to explore possible reform s that would promote16 public safety by removing barriers to civic participation for i ndividuals released from17 incarceration and ensure that Georgia's election laws are in alignment with the principles of18 justice and equality.19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:20 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Addressing21 Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia's Constitution Study Committee.22 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of six members of the23 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall24 designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.25 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,26 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or27 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate, including, but not28 limited to, the following:29 (A) Examining the current application and legal reasoning behi nd the felony30 disenfranchisement clause in the Georgia Constitution and asses sing its ongoing31 relevance in today's society;32 (B) Reviewing Georgia's current laws regarding disenfranchisem ent and evaluating33 how they impact individuals released from incarceration who are working and paying34 taxes while serving the remainder of their sentences in the community;35 (C) Studying potential reforms allowing individuals who have s erved the custodial36 portion of their sentences and are living in the community, eve n if they have not37 completed their sentences, to regain their right to vote and st rengthen their ability to38 participate in civic life;39 (D) Considering the economic, legal, and societal impacts of restoring voting rights to40 individuals who are released from incarceration; and41 S. R. 429 - 2 - 25 LC 60 0148 (E) Recommending a practical framework for the successful rein tegration of42 individuals into society, ensuring that they are able to resume civic engagement as43 responsible members of their communities.44 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee45 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or46 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and47 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.48 (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive49 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia50 Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any51 member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. 52 Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds53 appropriated to the Senate.54 (6) Report.55 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that56 include suggestions for proposed legislation or amendments to t he Georgia57 Constitution, the chairperson shall file a report of the same p rior to the date of58 abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.59 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for60 proposed legislation or amendments to the Georgia Constitution, the chairperson shall61 file the report, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.62 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of63 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 64 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with65 the Secretary of the Senate.66 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary67 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.68 S. R. 429 - 3 - 25 LC 60 0148 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.69 S. R. 429 - 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 Georgia Senate resolution would create a study committee to examine the state's felony disenfranchisement clause, which strips voting rights from people still serving sentences in their communities after release from custody. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's Constitution currently bars people convicted of felonies from voting until they finish their entire sentence, including parole and probation, even after they've been released from custody and are working, paying taxes, and living in their communities. This resolution creates a six-member Senate study committee to look at that rule. The committee, appointed by the President of the Senate, would examine the legal basis for the disenfranchisement clause, review how current law affects people released from incarceration, and study possible reforms that would let people regain voting rights once they've completed the custodial part of their sentence. It would also weigh the economic and social effects of restoring voting rights and recommend a framework for reintegration. The committee must file any findings or proposed legislation before it is abolished on December 1, 2025. ### What it does - Creates the Senate Addressing Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia's Constitution Study Committee, made up of six senators appointed by the President of the Senate. - Directs the committee to study the legal basis and current impact of Georgia's constitutional felony disenfranchisement clause. - Tasks the committee with studying reforms that would let people who finished their custodial sentence but remain on parole or probation regain the right to vote. - Requires the committee to consider the economic, legal, and societal effects of restoring voting rights and to recommend a reintegration framework. - Sets member pay under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to five days unless more are authorized, funded through Senate appropriations. - Abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025, requiring any approved findings or proposed legislation to be filed before that date. ### Who it affects People convicted of felonies who have completed incarceration but remain on parole or probation in Georgia, the state senators appointed to the study committee, and more broadly Georgia voters and election officials who could be affected by any future changes to voting eligibility rules. ### Why it matters The committee's work could lead to proposed changes letting people who have left custody but are still serving parole or probation regain voting rights, though this resolution itself changes no laws. Any real effect on who can vote in Georgia depends on future legislation or a constitutional amendment the committee might recommend. ### Key provisions - Paragraph 1 creates the study committee; Paragraph 2 sets it at six Senate members with a chairperson chosen by the President of the Senate. - Paragraph 3 lists study duties, including examining the disenfranchisement clause's legal basis and reviewing its impact on people released from incarceration who are working and paying taxes. - Paragraph 3(C) directs the committee to study letting people who served their custodial sentence, even if still on parole or probation, regain voting rights. - Paragraph 5 sets per diem allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless extended, funded from Senate appropriations. - Paragraph 6 requires any approved report or proposed legislation to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee's abolishment. - Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Max Burns, Josh McLaurin, Harold Jones, Chuck Payne, Sonya Halpern - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71512 > The history, votes, and amendments (429 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr429.md?full=1