Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 800: Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; create
Last action March 16, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
A Senate resolution creates an 11-member Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms to study financial pressures on Georgia farm families and recommend possible legislation.
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
Georgia's farm economy has faced rising input costs, falling commodity prices, trade disputes, and mental health struggles among farm families, according to the resolution's preamble. This resolution responds by creating a temporary joint legislative study committee rather than by changing any existing law itself. The committee would have 11 members: five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, five House members appointed by the Speaker, and the Commissioner of Agriculture. Two cochairpersons, one from each chamber, would call meetings and lead the study. The committee is directed to examine the challenges facing family farms and recommend legislation or other action. Legislative members can receive standard travel and expense allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to five days unless more are authorized. The committee must file any approved report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates the Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms, made up of 11 members.
- Assigns five Senate appointees and five House appointees, each chamber naming its own cochairperson, plus the Commissioner of Agriculture.
- Directs the committee to study challenges facing family farms and recommend legislation or other action it finds appropriate.
- Allows legislative members to receive standard travel allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to five meeting days unless more days are approved.
- Requires any committee report or recommended legislation to be filed before the committee is abolished, and sets the abolishment date as December 1, 2026.
Who it affects
Georgia farm families and the broader agricultural industry, the state senators and House members appointed to the committee, and the Commissioner of Agriculture, who serves as an additional member studying policy responses to farm economic pressures.
Why it matters
The resolution does not change any law itself, but it sets up a formal process for lawmakers to gather information on farm economic struggles, such as high input costs and low commodity prices, that could shape future legislation affecting farmers, food prices, and rural communities.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) formally creates the joint study committee.
- Paragraph (2) sets membership at 11: five senators, five House members, and the Commissioner of Agriculture, with one cochairperson from each chamber.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying farm economy problems and recommending action or legislation.
- Paragraph (5) sets allowances for legislative members under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized, funded from existing Senate and House appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires any approved findings or legislative recommendations to be filed as a report before the committee is abolished.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
From the bill
“a study is needed to evaluate the challenges family farms are facing and to explore policies and investments the General Assembly can pursue”
“The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.”
Discussed in meetings (11)
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 Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:07:43 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SR 800 would create a joint House and Senate study committee to explore ways to help family farms remain economically viable and pass to the next generation. The sponsor described two co-chairs, participation by the agriculture commissioner, five appointments each by the lieutenant governor and House speaker, and up to five meetings statewide. One committee member cited a Georgia Farm Bureau article reporting that Georgia ranked second in Chapter 12 bankruptcies in 2025, with about 27, up 145% from 2024. When the chair asked which state ranked first, the member said Arkansas had 33. Another member asked whether informal farm visits could be included without counting toward the five-meeting limit. The sponsor said those visits could be arranged and would not count as formal meetings. A further member suggested holding one or two formal meetings at farms, and the sponsor agreed. The sponsor said the Georgia Farm Bureau, Agribusiness Council and Poultry Federation supported the study, and that it could explore state-level help despite federal policy's influence on farming. A do-pass motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The chair announced unanimous passage with no opposition.
Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 0:29:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the resolution would create a joint House and Senate study committee on the sustainability of Georgia's family farms. Later, the chair expressly left it out of the motion moving two other resolutions to the consent calendar. No vote on this resolution was recorded.
Senate Rules Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:16:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee briefly called up SR 800 without explaining its provisions. A member later selected it for the floor calendar. The committee unanimously approved the calendar containing the resolution.
Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26)
From 1:29:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SR 800 would create a joint House and Senate study committee on the sustainability of family farms. The sponsor pointed to difficulties facing agriculture and rural communities and said a joint committee would show the General Assembly took those problems seriously. No members asked questions or spoke against the resolution. The Senate adopted it 47-0.
House Special Rules Committee, March 12, 2026
From 0:42:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said SR 800 would create a joint House and Senate study committee on the long-term survival of family farms, using wording matching a proposal already passed by the House. The presenter said agriculture faced financial pressures and proposed hearing from farmers and experts statewide about state-level help for farming and forestry. One member requested agricultural participants who were not legislators; the presenter agreed to pass along the suggestion. Another member asked that meetings include urban areas with small farms rather than focus only on south Georgia. The presenter said locations had not been determined but supported traveling statewide, addressing small and minority farms, and seeking short- and long-term solutions. The presenter also agreed the effort should be bipartisan. The committee approved the resolution by voice vote.
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 19, 2026 (legislative day 21), 0:31:57
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:18:47
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24), 0:37:05
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM), 0:55:07
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, AM), 1:06:08
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 16, 2026 (legislative day 32), 1:00:59
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
Show full history (9 actions)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-11)
- Drew Echols (R, SD-49)
- Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
- Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
- Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-38)
- Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
47 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 4 excused)
Topics
- family farms
- agriculture policy
- legislative study committee
- rural economy