---
title: SR 432. Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr432
cite_as: SR 432, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr432
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr432.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr432/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71538
date: 2026-03-31
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 497
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr432.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 432
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-31
last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
sponsors:
  - Sally Harrell
  - Billy Hickman
  - Max Burns
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR432/2025
upstream_id: 2012203
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - prison education
  - criminal justice reform
  - recidivism
  - higher education
  - legislative study committees
---

# SR 432. Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee; create

## Text

Senate Resolution 432
By: Senators Harrell of the 40th, Hickman of the 4th and Burns of the 23rd
ADOPTED SENATE
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Senate Higher Education in Prison Study Committee; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, higher education is a strong determinant of employment outcomes, social
mobility, and future income because it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills
needed to contribute effectively to society; and
WHEREAS, the 2023 overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program
allotted federal Pell Grants to people in prisons and increased total spending by $617 million,
giving the nation the greatest opportunity to expand higher education in prison since such
grants were cut in 1994; and
WHEREAS, there are currently more than 47,000 Georgians in our state prisons, which cost
taxpayers $1.32 billion in 2024; and
WHEREAS, the rate of recidivism in Georgia is at least 30 percent, and postsecondary
education has been found to be the most effective educational program at reducing
recidivism with multiple studies finding that education in prison reduces its rate by 43
percent; and
WHEREAS, providing postsecondary education to people in prisons will add specialized
laborers to Georgia's economy, bolstering our workforce to remain the number one state to
do business; and
WHEREAS, providing postsecondary education in prison will allow people in prisons to use
their time more productively, boost self-motivation and mental health, and develop real
career skills to apply after release; and
WHEREAS, entire communities benefit when people released from prison return as more
productive and educated individuals ready to contribute to their community; and
WHEREAS, previous studies have found that states ultimately offset all costs of
implementing postsecondary education in prisons with future savings from reduced rates of
recidivism; and
WHEREAS, other southern states have taken action in the form of expanding the number of
colleges, universities, and technical schools offering small business training; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison and its associated
organizations have started groundbreaking programs in Georgia's prisons, but their ability
to expand educational opportunities and provide transition services is limited; and
WHEREAS, the aforesaid coalition and other organizations have identified five categories
of challenges and obstacles for people in prisons continuing their postsecondary education
after release, including issues related to scholarship eligibility, housing obtainment,
behavioral health services, medical care, and access to employment; and
WHEREAS, a study is needed to further investigate the social and economic impacts of
increasing postsecondary opportunities in Georgia's prisons and to thoroughly determine
what measures may be necessary and appropriate to increase postsecondary education.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:
(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Higher Education
in Prison Study Committee.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the
Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, of whom one member may
represent a district in which there is a private nonprofit prison education program. The
President of the Senate shall designate two members to serve as cochairpersons, one from
the majority party and one from the minority party.
(3) Powers and duties.
(A) The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and
problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or legislation
which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.
(B) The duties of the committee shall also include, but not be limited to:
(i) Examining the state's current postsecondary and transition offerings; and
(ii) Studying the most recent data on postsecondary offerings in prisons and
successful models around the country.
(4) Meetings. The cochairpersons 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.
(5) Allowances and funding.
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds
appropriated to the Senate.
(6) Report.
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file a report of the
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for
proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file the report, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of
abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.
A report so approved shall be signed by the cochairpersons of the committee and filed
with the Secretary of the Senate.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the cochairpersons may file with the
Secretary of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu
thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.

## 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 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.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-03-31)
- Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2026-03-31)
- Sponsors: Sally Harrell, Billy Hickman, Max Burns
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71538

> The history, votes, and amendments (497 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr432.md?full=1