In 2025, the Levin Center conducted a study of all 50 states to examine how legislatures ensure government programs work effectively for citizens. Factors such as legislative oversight committees, routine engagement with executive agencies, collection of casework data, digital transparency tools, and user-centered policy evaluation were of particular importance. The full report can be found here.
State Summary #
Overall, the Georgia Senate has a stronger infrastructure for people-centered oversight than the Georgia House. For example, the Senate Committee on Government Oversight has agendas and minutes available for each meeting held, with dedicated space for public testimony on each agenda, whereas the House oversight committees only provide users with a link to watch the hearing on YouTube, with no apparent line of sight into what is occurring in the meeting (e.g., there are no agendas or minutes available). The Senate Committee on Government Oversight has several “study” subcommittees that appear to be very active and produce several public reports each session. The House committees did not have any public reports available. The chairs of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight have links to a contact form that allows users to easily categorize their message into several categories (need help with an agency, want to meet with a Senator, want to express support or opposition to a bill, etc.), whereas the House committees do not provide such links or any direct solicitation for public input or feedback.
The Open Georgia system collects financial information, performance reviews, and more from across state government and presents them in an online format. This data can conceivably be used in conducting oversight, though non-financial performance data is limited mostly to reports issued by the Department of Audits and Accounts.
