SR1051: SR1051 Senate Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities; create

Georgia runs many programs for people with disabilities across several state agencies, but families report trouble finding and accessing services, complicated applications, and gaps when young people transition from school into adulthood. This resolution creates the Senate Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities to look into these problems. The committee would have five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, with one designated chairperson. It is directed to study topics including Medicaid waiver programs (NOW and COMP), waiting lists, workforce shortages among direct support professionals, family caregiver burdens, housing and guardianship planning, data and reporting practices, and support for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Members would receive standard legislative allowances funded by the Senate for up to five meeting days unless more are approved. The committee must file any findings or proposed legislation before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the Senate Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities, made up of five senators appointed by the President of the Senate.
• Directs the committee to study access barriers, Medicaid waiver waiting lists, workforce shortages, family caregiver burdens, and long-term planning issues like housing and guardianship for people with disabilities.
• Requires the committee to examine coordination among the Department of Education, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.
• Authorizes standard legislative daily allowances (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8) for committee members, capped at five days unless additional days are approved, paid from Senate funds.
• Requires the committee chairperson to file a report of findings or recommended legislation, or meeting minutes if no report is approved, before the committee is abolished.
• Sets the committee's abolishment date as December 1, 2026.

People with disabilities and their families in Georgia, direct support professionals and other care providers, public schools integrating students with disabilities, and the state agencies that administer disability services, including the Departments of Education, Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Community Health, and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.

The committee itself would not create new services or funding, but its findings could shape future legislation on Medicaid waiver waiting lists, provider shortages, school transition support, and long-term care planning issues that families of people with disabilities say are currently hard to navigate.

• Paragraph 1 creates the Senate Study Committee on Comprehensive Services and Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Paragraph 2 sets committee membership at five senators appointed by the President of the Senate, with one member designated chairperson.
• Paragraph 3 lists ten specific topic areas the committee must study, including Medicaid waivers, workforce shortages, family support, long-term legal and financial planning, data reporting, and school integration.
• Paragraph 4 lets the chairperson call meetings at whatever times and places the committee finds necessary.
• Paragraph 5 authorizes standard legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five paid days unless more are approved, funded through Senate appropriations.
• Paragraph 6 requires a chairperson-signed report or, if no report is approved, meeting minutes to be filed with the Secretary of the Senate.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-25Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)

• disability services
• Medicaid waivers
• special education
• caregiver support
• state government studies