Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 432: Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee; create
Last action March 31, 2026 · Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
A Georgia Senate resolution creates a five-member study committee to examine expanding higher education programs inside state prisons and the barriers people face continuing their education after release.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution creates the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee, made up of five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, with one member possibly representing a district with a private nonprofit prison education program. Two cochairpersons, one from each party, will lead the committee. The committee is tasked with studying Georgia's current postsecondary and transition programs for incarcerated people, reviewing national data on similar programs, and recommending legislation if needed. It can hold meetings as needed, and legislative members get standard allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for up to five days unless more are approved, funded through existing Senate appropriations. If the committee approves findings or a report by majority vote, the cochairpersons must file it with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee made up of five senators appointed by the President of the Senate.
- Directs the committee to study current postsecondary and transition programs available to people in Georgia prisons.
- Requires the committee to review recent data on prison education models used in other states.
- Authorizes the committee to recommend legislation based on its findings.
- Sets legislative member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized, funded by the Senate.
- Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026, after which any approved report or meeting minutes must be filed with the Secretary of the Senate.
Who it affects
This resolution primarily affects state senators appointed to the new committee, the Georgia Department of Corrections and its prison education partners such as the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, and, indirectly, the more than 47,000 people incarcerated in Georgia's state prisons.
Why it matters
The committee's work could shape future legislation on expanding college and technical education inside Georgia prisons and easing barriers to scholarships, housing, health care, and jobs after release. For now, the resolution itself creates no new programs or funding for incarcerated people, only a study process.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) creates the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee.
- Paragraph (2) sets membership at five senators with two cochairpersons, one from each party, appointed by the President of the Senate.
- Paragraph (3) directs the committee to study current postsecondary and transition offerings and successful models from other states, and to recommend legislation if appropriate.
- Paragraph (5) caps legislative allowances at five days under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 unless more are approved, funded from Senate appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings, recommendations, or reports to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate before abolishment.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
From the bill
“There is created the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee.”
“The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:58:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute creating a study committee on education in prisons. The sponsor said membership was revised to include only senators, with other participants providing testimony, and discussed including a senator representing a private nonprofit university active in prison education. Citing research, the sponsor said one in three people return to prison, educational opportunities reduce repeat offending by 43%, and education increases employability by 13%. The sponsor also said education reduces prison violence and misbehavior. No public testimony or substantive questions followed. The committee unanimously recommended passage by substitute.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 0:27:50 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair included SR 432 in a group of 12 study committee resolutions. The chair said Capitol study committee meetings during the interim would need to use the legislative office building because other meeting rooms would be under renovation. The committee unanimously moved the group to the consent calendar.
Status timeline
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Sally Harrell (D, SD-40)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-4)
- Max Burns (R, SD-23)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
48 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- prison education
- criminal justice reform
- recidivism
- higher education
- legislative study committees