(a) The commissioner shall maintain an educational program within the state prison system to assist inmates in achieving at least a fifth-grade level on standardized reading tests. Inmates who test below the fifth-grade level will be encouraged by institutional staff to attend appropriate classes until they attain this level.

(b) For the purposes of this Code section, educational programming shall not apply to inmates who:

(1) Have been sentenced to death;

(2) Have attained 50 years of age; or

(3) Have serious learning disabilities.

(c) The commissioner shall provide additional educational programs in which inmates can voluntarily participate to further their education beyond the fifth-grade level.

(d) The commissioner shall utilize available services and programs within the Department of Education, and the Department of Education shall cooperate with the commissioner in the establishment of educational programs and the testing of inmates as required in this Code section.

(e) The commissioner shall be authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Code section.