HR381: HR381 Believe Greater Dalton; recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award; dedication to literacy advancement; commend

This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes Believe Greater Dalton, a strategic planning initiative run by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, as a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award. That award, created by the Georgia Council on Literacy, honors communities that build multi-organization partnerships lasting at least three years and show measurable results in improving literacy. The resolution describes how Believe Greater Dalton has spent the past decade building a network of partners, including local school systems, colleges, healthcare providers, faith-based groups, and nonprofits, working together to help children read at grade level by third grade. The House formally congratulates the group and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Believe Greater Dalton. It does not create any new law, funding, or program.

• Formally congratulates and commends Believe Greater Dalton for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award for literacy work.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Believe Greater Dalton.
• Recognizes the broader group of Georgia Reads Community Award recipients as part of the same commendation.
• Creates no new statutory requirements, funding, or changes to Georgia law; it is a ceremonial statement of praise.

The resolution directly names Believe Greater Dalton, the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce's literacy initiative, and its partner organizations, including Dalton Public Schools, Whitfield County Schools, Dalton State College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, United Way, and local healthcare and faith-based groups.

The resolution has no legal effect and changes no law, but it gives official state recognition to a local literacy partnership, which can raise its public profile and support continued community efforts to improve childhood reading proficiency in the Dalton area.

• Recites the purpose of the Georgia Reads Community Award, given to community partnerships sustained at least three years with measurable literacy results.
• Describes Believe Greater Dalton's decade-long collaborative framework, including its 'B8 team' of school, college, healthcare, and nonprofit partners.
• Resolves that the House congratulates and commends Believe Greater Dalton and other Georgia Reads Community Award recipients.
• Directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Believe Greater Dalton.

1. 2025-02-24House Read and Adopted (House)
2. 2025-02-24House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-24House Hopper (House)

• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)Primary sponsor
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• Steve Tarvin (R, HD-002)

• literacy
• education
• Dalton Georgia
• community awards