---
title: SR 800. Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr800
cite_as: SR 800, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr800
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr800.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr800/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73332
date: 2026-03-16
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: 572
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr800.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 800
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported
sponsors:
  - Russ Goodman
  - Sam Watson
  - Drew Echols
  - Freddie Sims
  - Lee Anderson
  - Clint Dixon
  - Matt Brass
  - Ricky Williams
  - Chuck Payne
  - RaShaun Kemp
  - Robert Dickey
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR800/2025
upstream_id: 2119527
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - family farms
  - agriculture policy
  - legislative study committee
  - rural economy
---

# SR 800. Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; create

## Text

Senate Resolution 800
By: Senators Goodman of the 8th, Watson of the 11th, Echols of the 49th, Sims of the 12th,
Anderson of the 24th and others
ADOPTED SENATE
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS, the agricultural industry is the leading driver of this state's economy and the
family farm is central to the identity of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the agricultural industry contributes $100.4 billion to this state's economy and
contributes 370,400 jobs to the workforce, yet the United States' agricultural trade deficit is
projected to exceed $40 billion this year; and
WHEREAS, despite consumers facing rising food prices, the farmer's share of every dollar
spent by consumers continues to get smaller; and
WHEREAS, farm families have faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years
including natural disasters, global trade wars, disease outbreaks, corporate consolidation, and
a declining workforce, leading to record high input costs and record low commodity prices;
and
WHEREAS, the insurmountable economic challenges facing family farms have caused a
rapid increase in suicides and mental illnesses within the farm community; and
WHEREAS, the aforementioned challenges are causing American consumers to be more
reliant on imported food and fiber, leading to the outsourcing of food production to trading
partners overseas; and
WHEREAS, a study is needed to evaluate the challenges family farms are facing and to
explore policies and investments the General Assembly can pursue to support existing
markets, develop new and innovative domestic markets, decrease the cost of inputs,
adequately prepare the next generation of farmers, and address systemic challenges
contributing to the declining farm economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
GEORGIA:
(1) Creation of joint study committee. There is created the Joint Study Committee on
the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms.
(2) Members and officers.
(A) The committee shall be composed of 11 members.
(B) The President of the Senate shall appoint five members of the Senate as members
of the committee and shall designate one of such members as cochairperson.
(C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint five members of the
House of Representatives as members of the committee and shall designate one of such
members as cochairperson.
(D) The committee shall include the Commissioner of Agriculture as an additional
member.
(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 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) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,
or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee,
but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred 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) 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 and the House of Representatives.
(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 and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the cochairpersons may file with the
Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives copies 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 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.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-03-16)
- Sponsors: Russ Goodman, Sam Watson, Drew Echols, Freddie Sims, Lee Anderson, Clint Dixon, Matt Brass, Ricky Williams, Chuck Payne, RaShaun Kemp, Robert Dickey
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73332

> The history, votes, and amendments (572 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr800.md?full=1