(The Center Square) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp could soon decide whether to sign legislation eliminating a college degree requirement for some state government jobs.
The state House and the state Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of Senate Bill 3, the “Reducing Barriers to State Employment Act of 2023.”
The measure orders the Georgia Department of Administrative Services to examine the qualifications for state government jobs and “identify jobs for which the educational, experiential, and training requirements could be reduced from their present level.” This includes “insofar as practicable” reducing “the number of jobs for which a four-year college degree is required as a condition of employment.”
“I was proud to work with Senator [John] Albers to get Senate Bill 3 passed and immediately address a part of Georgia’s workforce shortage concerns,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a statement to The Center Square. “SB 3 makes it easier for state offices, departments and agencies to hire applicants without a four-year brick and mortar degree.
“This will benefit thousands of applicants each year who may have the prerequisites, drive and desire to work for the state—but lack a four-year degree,” Jones added. “I deeply believe that those applicants deserve a shot to contribute to our state’s workforce.”
A spokesman for Kemp, a Republican, declined to say whether the governor would sign the measure.
“All legislation that reached final passage from the General Assembly is currently undergoing a thorough review process,” the spokesman told The Center Square in an email. “An announcement will be made once any decision is reached.”
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
