---
title: SR 610. Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr610
cite_as: SR 610, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72406
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 497
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 610
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:
  - Bo Hatchett
  - Matt Brass
  - Randy Robertson
  - Brian Strickland
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR610/2025
upstream_id: 2095220
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - recycling
  - waste management
  - economic development
  - environmental policy
---

# SR 610. Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling; create

## Text

Senate Resolution 610
By: Senators Hatchett of the 50th, Brass of the 6th, Robertson of the 29th and Strickland of
the 42nd
ADOPTED SENATE
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS, Georgia continues to experience population growth and economic expansion,
increasing demand on solid waste management systems and landfill capacity; and
WHEREAS, Georgia has significant opportunities to strengthen recycling as an economic
development tool that supports manufacturing, supply chains, and jobs while conserving
natural resources; and
WHEREAS, recyclable commodities such as glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, tires, and
other materials represent valuable feedstocks for Georgia based and regional manufacturers;
and
WHEREAS, recycling challenges in this state include infrastructure limitations, inconsistent
collection systems, contamination of recyclable materials, and insufficient in-state end
markets for certain commodities; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of
Natural Resources plays a central role in solid waste planning, permitting, data collection,
and technical assistance related to recycling; and
WHEREAS, a market-driven, industry informed study is needed to identify practical
strategies to improve material recovery, increase recycling rates, and grow end markets for
recyclable commodities in this state.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:
(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee
on Improving and Increasing Recycling.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the
Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate.
The President of the Senate shall designate a legislative member of the committee as
chairperson of the committee and may designate a vice 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, with a particular focus on
market viability and commodity-specific solutions and recommend any action or
legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee shall
consider, but shall not be limited to:
(A) The current collection, processing, and end-market capacity for recyclable
commodities, including glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, tires, and other materials
commonly generated in this state;
(B) Barriers to improving material quality, reducing contamination, and increasing
recovery rates for specific commodities;
(C) Opportunities to expand or attract in-state manufacturing and end markets that
utilize recycled feedstocks;
(D) The role of private industry, manufacturers, material recovery facilities, and
recyclers in improving system efficiency and investment;
(E) The effectiveness of existing state and local recycling programs and EPD
administered solid waste and recycling initiatives;
(F) Best practices from other states and regions that have successfully improved
recycling outcomes through industry-led or public-private partnership models;
(G) Data collection, reporting, and measurement tools needed to better track recycling
performance by commodity;
(H) Infrastructure needs, including processing capacity and transportation
considerations, to support increased recycling state wide;
(I) Public education strategies focused on improving participation and reducing
contamination in recycling streams; and
(J) Any statutory, regulatory, or administrative changes necessary to support a
sustainable, market based recycling system in Georgia.
(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, expenses, 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) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,
or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the
committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the
performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they
are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.
(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state
employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that
specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state
employees.
(D) 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; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of
state officials, other than legislative members, and for the reimbursement of the
expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise
available to their respective agencies.
(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 upon the earlier of the
submission of its final report or 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 how the state can boost recycling rates and grow markets for materials like glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, and tires.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia's population growth is putting more pressure on landfills and solid waste systems, and this resolution responds by setting up the Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling. The President of the Senate would appoint five senators to the committee, with one designated as chairperson.
The committee is directed to study current recycling collection and processing capacity, barriers to reducing contamination, opportunities for in-state manufacturers to use recycled materials, best practices from other states, and what data or infrastructure Georgia needs to track and improve recycling. It can recommend legislation based on its findings. Legislative members get standard travel and expense allowances under Georgia law, funded through the Senate's budget. The committee must file any report before it is abolished, which happens automatically once it submits a final report or on December 1, 2026, whichever comes first.

### What it does

- Establishes the Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling, made up of five senators appointed by the President of the Senate.
- Directs the committee to study recycling collection, processing, and end markets for commodities like glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, and tires.
- Authorizes the committee to recommend legislation or administrative changes to support a market based recycling system.
- Sets standard travel and expense reimbursement for legislative members and allows limited reimbursement for other participating officials or employees.
- Requires any committee report to be approved by majority vote and filed with the Secretary of the Senate before the committee is abolished.
- Abolishes the committee automatically once it files a final report or on December 1, 2026, whichever happens first.

### Who it affects

The bill directly affects the five senators appointed to the committee, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division within the Department of Natural Resources, and industry groups such as manufacturers, material recovery facilities, and recyclers who may be asked to provide input during the study.

### Why it matters

The committee's findings could shape future Georgia legislation on recycling infrastructure, contamination reduction, and market development for recycled materials, potentially affecting how counties, waste haulers, manufacturers, and residents handle recyclables in the years ahead, though the resolution itself creates no new mandates.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) creates the Senate Study Committee on Improving and Increasing Recycling.
- Paragraph (2) sets the committee's composition at five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, who also names the chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) lists ten specific topics the committee must consider, including end-market capacity, contamination barriers, in-state manufacturing opportunities, and best practices from other states.
- Paragraph (5) sets allowances for legislative members under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and limits allowances to five days unless additional days are authorized, funded through Senate appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires any adopted report to be approved by majority vote of a quorum and filed with the Secretary of the Senate before abolishment.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee upon submission of its final report or on December 1, 2026, whichever comes first.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-03-31)
- Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2026-03-31)
- Sponsors: Bo Hatchett, Matt Brass, Randy Robertson, Brian Strickland
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72406

> The history, votes, and amendments (497 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610.md?full=1