SR 489: Senate Study Committee on Inclusive Educational Settings for Students with Disabilities; create

Senate Resolution 489

By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Echols of the 49th, Hickman of the 4th, Harrell of the 40th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others

ADOPTED SENATE

A RESOLUTION

Creating the Senate Study Committee on Inclusive Educational Settings for Students with Disabilities; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, inclusive educational settings can offer substantial short- and long-term benefits for students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, such benefits include being more likely to be enrolled in secondary and postsecondary education and live independently as adults; and

WHEREAS, such benefits also include improved performance on language and math assessments, greater growth in the classroom, improved attendance, and less behavioral issues in the classroom; and

WHEREAS, students with disabilities have traditionally struggled to access inclusive educational settings due to misconceptions regarding the capabilities of students with disabilities, leading to educators continuing to separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, students with disabilities in inclusive educational settings have either neutral or positive benefits for students without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to examine the data and benefits of inclusive educational settings for students in Georgia.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:

(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee on Inclusive Educational Settings for Students with Disabilities.

(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of seven members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.

(3) Powers and duties. 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.

(4) Meetings. The chairperson 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 chairperson 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 chairperson 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 chairperson of the committee and filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson 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, 2025.