SR244: SR244 Equal Rights Amendment; encouraging all states to ratify

This resolution addresses the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed addition to the U.S. Constitution that Congress approved in 1972 to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex. The resolution notes that 38 states have ratified it so far, which meets the three-fourths threshold needed under the Constitution's amendment process, though the amendment's legal status remains a matter of national debate not addressed here. The Georgia Senate resolution itself does not change any Georgia law. It simply states the Senate's position: it encourages states that have not yet ratified the amendment to do so, and it commends the states that already have. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to other states.

• States the Senate's support for the Equal Rights Amendment becoming the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
• Encourages states that have not yet ratified the amendment to do so.
• Commends the states that have already ratified the amendment.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to other states.

This resolution mainly affects the Georgia Senate's official record and its communications with other state legislatures. It does not create obligations for Georgia residents, businesses, or agencies, since it does not change any Georgia statute.

Because this is a resolution rather than a bill, it carries no legal force and changes no Georgia law. Its practical effect is limited to expressing the Georgia Senate's stance and sending that message to other states as part of a broader national conversation about the amendment.

• The preamble recounts that Congress adopted the proposed Equal Rights Amendment in 1972 and that 38 states have ratified it, meeting the three-fourths threshold.
• The resolving clause has the Senate encourage remaining states to ratify the amendment and commend those that already have.
• A further resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies to other states.

1. 2025-02-24Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-21Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)Primary sponsor
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)

• Equal Rights Amendment
• women's rights
• U.S. Constitution
• legislative resolutions