SB 326: Handicapped Persons; a program for support service providers to assist blind and deaf-blind individuals in navigating employment and higher education opportunities; provide

Georgia currently has no dedicated state program to help blind and deaf-blind residents navigate job searches or higher education with hands-on, real-time assistance. This bill adds a new chapter to Title 30 of Georgia's code, called the Georgia Support Service Provider Act of 2025, to fix that gap. The bill creates a nine-member advisory committee appointed by the Governor, made up of blind or deaf-blind individuals, disability advocates, employers, higher education representatives, and support service providers, to guide the program. It puts the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in charge of setting standards and contracting with nonprofits and independent providers to deliver job-search help and college support services. The program must be fully running by January 1, 2027, with priority given to low-income and rural residents. Starting December 1, 2027, the agency must publish an annual report on outcomes. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Creates a new Support Service Provider Program inside the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency to help blind and deaf-blind residents with jobs and college.
• Establishes a nine-member advisory committee appointed by the Governor to recommend standards and guide the program's rollout.
• Defines employment assistance and higher education assistance to include job application help, workplace orientation, transportation coordination, college enrollment support, and campus navigation.
• Directs the agency to contract with nonprofits and independent providers rather than hire staff directly to deliver these services.
• Requires the program to be fully operational by January 1, 2027, and sets a January 1, 2026 deadline for the committee's initial recommendations.
• Requires annual public reports starting December 1, 2027 covering how many people were served, outcomes, and spending.

Blind and deaf-blind Georgians seeking jobs or postsecondary education, especially low-income and rural residents who get priority; the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, which runs the program; nonprofit organizations and independent providers who may contract to deliver services; and employers and colleges that interact with program participants.

Blind and deaf-blind Georgians who currently navigate job searches and college enrollment without dedicated support could gain access to trained providers who help with everything from resumes to classroom navigation, potentially lowering barriers to employment and higher education across the state.

• Code Section 30-11-3 defines key terms including 'blind,' 'deaf-blind,' 'employment assistance,' and 'higher education assistance.'
• Code Section 30-11-4 creates the nine-member Support Service Provider Program Advisory Committee, sets two-year terms, and requires quarterly meetings.
• Code Section 30-11-4(d) requires the advisory committee to give the agency initial recommendations by January 1, 2026.
• Code Section 30-11-5 requires the program to be fully operational by January 1, 2027 and directs the agency to contract with nonprofits and independent providers.
• Code Section 30-11-5(e) makes blind and deaf-blind residents seeking employment or education eligible, prioritizing low-income and underserved rural individuals.
• Code Section 30-11-6 authorizes the agency to accept donations and pursue federal or private funding for the program.
• Code Section 30-11-7 requires an annual public report starting December 1, 2027 on individuals served, outcomes, and spending.
• Section 2 makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature.

1. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
2. 2025-03-06Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)Patrocinador principal
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)

• disability services
• blind and deaf-blind Georgians
• vocational rehabilitation
• employment assistance
• higher education access