CO-AGE participants choose priorities, the Georgia Council on Aging (GCOA) staff convenes a workgroup for each legislative priority. A workgroup may also be convened for a budget priority, but that happens less frequently.

Workgroups are made up of CO-AGE participants who have submitted the issue, signed up at the July priority setting meeting or have expressed an interest. In addition, other stakeholders and interested organizations and agency staff who have expertise in the issue or may be directly affected by it are often invited to participate. The workgroups discuss all aspects of the priority to reach consensus on how to address the problem legislatively keeping in mind the essence of the issue as presented at the July priority setting meeting. The goal is to formulate a bill or resolution that is well researched and has included volunteers from all the groups that may have an interest in the issue.

Workgroups meet three to six times between the July priority setting meeting and before the October CO-AGE meeting. The number of meetings is determined by the group and influenced by the difficulty of the priority. Each workgroup meeting to discuss the frameworks of the priority, determines whether it is a bill or a resolution, considers the substance of the bill or resolution and formulates preliminary strategy for the legislative session.

Each workgroup meeting entails approximately a two-hour commitment not including travel time. The meetings are usually held at the GCOA office located at 2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta.