--- title: SR 444. Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee; create collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr444 cite_as: SR 444, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71563 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/sr443.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 429 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 444 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: - Sonya Halpern - Harold Jones - Brian Strickland - Bill Cowsert - Elena Parent text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR444/2025 upstream_id: 2012783 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights - anti-discrimination law - study committee - housing discrimination - employment discrimination --- # SR 444. Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee; create ## Text 25 LC 60 0153 Senate Resolution 444 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Jones II of the 22nd, Strickland of the 42nd, Cowsert of the 46th and Parent of the 44th ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Georgia is one of the few states without comprehensive state civil rights laws2 protecting individuals from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations,3 and public services; and4 WHEREAS, the Georgia Constitution guarantees equal protection for all citizens and affirms5 the natural and inalienable right to freedom of conscience and worship; and6 WHEREAS, the General Assembly understands that it is in the public interest of the State7 of Georgia to study, evaluate, and make policy recommendations for comprehensive civil8 rights protections in employment, housing, public accommodation s, and public services9 without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,10 age, disability, or familial status; and11 WHEREAS, the General Assembly further understands that, in developing recommendations12 for such comprehensive civil rights protections, there is a compelling need to examine the13 enforcement mechanisms, legal frameworks, and best practices fr om other states and to14 S. R. 444 - 1 - 25 LC 60 0153 ensure any recommendations balance the protection of individual liberties with the interests15 of businesses and government institutions.16 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:17 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Civil Rights18 Protections Study Committee.19 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the20 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall21 designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.22 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,23 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or24 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate, including, but not25 limited to, the following:26 (A) Conducting a comprehensive review of Georgia's existing anti-discrimination laws27 and identifying any gaps in protections;28 (B) Analyzing data and research on discrimination in employmen t, housing, public29 accommodations, and public services in Georgia;30 (C) Reviewing civil rights laws from other states and federal civil rights statutes for31 guidance on best practices;32 (D) Assessing enforcement mechanisms, including, but not limited to, the role of state33 agencies, private rights of action, and remedies available to victims of discrimination;34 (E) Evaluating the impact of potential legislation on businesses, government entities,35 and affected communities; and36 (F) Making recommendations for legislation to address any identified deficiencies in37 Georgia's civil rights protections.38 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee39 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or40 S. R. 444 - 2 - 25 LC 60 0153 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and41 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.42 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding. The members of the committee shall receive43 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia44 Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any45 member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. 46 Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds47 appropriated to the Senate.48 (6) Report.49 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that50 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the51 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to52 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.53 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for54 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)55 of this paragraph.56 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of57 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.58 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with59 the Secretary of the Senate.60 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary61 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.62 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.63 S. R. 444 - 3 - ## 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 Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee to examine gaps in the state's anti-discrimination laws and recommend possible legislation before it disbands on December 1, 2025. ### Plain-language summary Georgia currently lacks comprehensive state civil rights laws covering discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services. This resolution responds to that by creating a temporary Senate study committee to look into the issue. The committee will have five Senate members appointed by the President of the Senate, who also names the chairperson. Its job is to review Georgia's existing anti-discrimination laws, study data on discrimination, look at how other states and the federal government handle civil rights protections, and weigh the impact of any potential new law on businesses, government agencies, and affected communities. Members receive standard legislative allowances for up to five meeting days unless more are approved, funded through the Senate's budget. If the committee approves findings or recommendations, the chairperson must file a report before the committee is abolished on December 1, 2025. ### What it does - Creates the Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee made up of five senators appointed by the President of the Senate. - Directs the committee to review Georgia's current anti-discrimination laws and identify gaps in coverage for employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services. - Instructs the committee to study enforcement tools, such as state agency roles, private lawsuits, and remedies for victims, and compare them with other states' laws. - Allows committee members to receive standard daily allowances under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. \u00a7 28-1-8) for up to five meeting days, funded by the Senate's budget. - Sets December 1, 2025 as the date the committee automatically ends, after which any approved report or recommendations must already be filed. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the five senators appointed to serve on the committee. Its work could eventually affect Georgia employers, landlords, businesses that serve the public, state agencies, and people who experience discrimination, since the committee's recommendations could shape future civil rights legislation. ### Why it matters The committee itself does not change any law, but its findings could lead to future bills expanding legal protections against discrimination in jobs, housing, and public services in Georgia, one of the few states without broad state-level civil rights statutes covering these areas. ### Key provisions - Paragraph 1 creates the Senate Civil Rights Protections Study Committee. - Paragraph 2 sets the committee at five Senate members, appointed by the President of the Senate, who also picks the chairperson. - Paragraph 3 lists the committee's duties, including reviewing existing anti-discrimination laws, analyzing discrimination data, comparing other states' laws, assessing enforcement mechanisms, and recommending legislation. - Paragraph 4 lets the chairperson call meetings at whatever times and places the committee needs. - Paragraph 5 caps paid allowances at five meeting days unless more are authorized, funded through Senate appropriations. - Paragraph 6 requires any approved report or recommendations to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee ends, or meeting minutes filed if no report is approved. - Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Harold Jones, Brian Strickland, Bill Cowsert, Elena Parent - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71563 > The history, votes, and amendments (429 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444.md?full=1