SR63: SR63 Gavalis, Joseph; condolences

This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate honoring Joseph Gavalis after his death. It recounts his career as a federal agent fighting organized crime and labor racketeering, and his later work in Cobb County, Georgia, where he led his homeowners association, served on the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission, and helped found the Cobb County Elder Abuse Task Force and the North Georgia Elder Abuse Task Force. The resolution notes that over about 10 years he ran workshops for roughly 10,000 seniors on elder abuse prevention and distributed scent kits to help locate people with dementia who wander off. The Senate resolves to express its sympathy over his passing and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to his family.

• Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Joseph Gavalis and honors his life and memory.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Gavalis's family.
• Creates no new law, funding, or regulation; it is a ceremonial statement rather than a change to the Georgia Code.

The resolution directly concerns the family of Joseph Gavalis, who will receive a copy of it, and reflects on his work with Cobb County government bodies such as the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission and elder abuse task forces.

The resolution has no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally; its significance is symbolic, giving official Senate recognition to Gavalis's decades of law enforcement and elder abuse prevention work in Cobb County and beyond.

• The whereas clauses recount Gavalis's career fighting organized crime and labor racketeering as a federal agent.
• The whereas clauses describe his community service in Cobb County, including founding the Cobb County Elder Abuse Task Force and North Georgia Elder Abuse Task Force.
• The first resolving clause states the Senate joins in honoring his life and expressing regret at his passing.
• The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to his family.

1. 2025-01-30Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-01-29Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)Primary sponsor
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)

• Senate resolution
• elder abuse prevention
• Cobb County
• condolences