SR 933: National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee; create

Since 1864, each state has been allowed to place two statues of notable historic figures in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol. Georgia's two statues currently depict Dr. Crawford W. Long and Alexander Hamilton Stephens. This resolution creates the National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee to replace the Stephens statue with one of former President Jimmy Carter, a Georgia native who served as a state senator, governor, and U.S. president. The eight-member committee, appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House, would choose a new location in Georgia for the Stephens statue, select a sculptor, approve statue designs, estimate costs, and raise private funds to cover the replacement. The committee would be funded mainly through private donations, with legislative members receiving standard expense allowances from state funds. The committee would dissolve on December 1, 2026. If federal approval is granted, Georgia would formally request the swap through the Architect of the Capitol.

• Creates an eight-member National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House.
• Directs the committee to select a new in-state location for the removed Alexander Hamilton Stephens statue and report it to state leaders.
• Tasks the committee with choosing a sculptor, approving statue designs, and estimating all costs of replacing the statue with one of President Jimmy Carter.
• Requires the committee to raise private funding for the replacement, with legislative members receiving standard state expense allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8.
• Sets December 1, 2026 as the date the committee automatically dissolves.
• Directs the Governor to formally request approval from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress once a location for the old statue is chosen.

The resolution primarily affects the committee members themselves (state officials, legislators, and gubernatorial appointees), state agencies that may reimburse expenses, and the U.S. Capitol's Architect and Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, which must approve any statue swap under federal law.

If enacted, Georgia would begin the formal process of removing its Capitol statue of Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens and replacing it with one honoring former President Jimmy Carter, changing how the state is represented in a prominent national landmark.

• Paragraph (1) creates the committee specifically to facilitate replacing the Stephens statue with a Carter statue.
• Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at eight: four gubernatorial appointees (one as chair), two chosen by the Lieutenant Governor, and two by the Speaker of the House.
• Paragraph (3) lists committee duties, including choosing a relocation site for the Stephens statue, hiring a sculptor, and estimating costs like transportation, pedestal fabrication, and an unveiling ceremony.
• Paragraph (6) specifies funding sources: mostly private donations, with legislative members eligible for standard state travel and meeting allowances.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
• The final section requires the Governor to petition the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress for federal approval of the replacement, per 2 U.S.C. § 2132(b).

1. 2026-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-09Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)

• National Statuary Hall
• Jimmy Carter
• Confederate monuments
• state committees
• U.S. Capitol statues