SR933: SR933 National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee; create

Since the 1800s, each state has been allowed to display two statues honoring important 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, who served as vice president of the Confederacy. This resolution creates the National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee to plan replacing the Stephens statue with one honoring former Governor and President Jimmy Carter. 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 them. The committee would stand abolished on December 1, 2026. If federal officials approve the swap, Georgia would formally request the replacement through the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.

• Creates the eight member National Statuary Hall Collection Replacement Committee, with four members appointed by the Governor, two by the Lieutenant Governor, and two by the Speaker of the House.
• Directs the committee to find a new in-state location for the Alexander Hamilton Stephens statue currently displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
• Tasks the committee with selecting a sculptor, approving designs, and estimating costs for a new statue of President Jimmy Carter to replace the Stephens statue.
• Requires the committee to identify and obtain private funding to pay for the statue replacement, since state funds cannot be used except for specific legislative member allowances.
• Sets the committee to automatically dissolve on December 1, 2026.
• Directs the Governor to formally request approval for the statue swap from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress once a new location is chosen.

The resolution directly affects the eight committee members appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House, as well as state officials and employees who may serve on it. It also affects the Architect of the Capitol, the federal Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, and any Georgia community that ends up hosting the relocated Stephens statue.

If carried out, Georgia's public representation in the U.S. Capitol would change from honoring Alexander Hamilton Stephens to honoring former President Jimmy Carter. The process depends on private fundraising rather than state tax dollars, and on federal approval before any physical replacement can happen.

• Paragraph (1) creates the committee specifically to replace the Stephens statue with a statue of President Jimmy Carter.
• Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at eight, with appointment authority split among the Governor (four, including the chair), Lieutenant Governor (two), and Speaker of the House (two).
• Paragraph (3) lists the committee's duties, including choosing a new site for the Stephens statue, hiring a sculptor, approving designs, and estimating all associated costs.
• Paragraph (4) gives the committee power to enter contracts and agreements and to seek and spend private funds for the project.
• Paragraph (6) requires that costs come from private funds, except that legislative members receive standard allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 paid from legislative appropriations.
• Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
• The final section directs the Governor to submit a written request to the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress for approval of the statue swap, as authorized under 2 U.S.C. § 2132.

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
• U.S. Capitol
• state commemorations