--- title: HR 1012. The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium (a program of the Georgia Department of Public Health), and Cancer Pathways; exemplary contributions to cervical cancer education and awareness in Georgia; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1012 cite_as: HR 1012, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72191 date: 2026-01-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1013.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1012 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-13 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Stacey Evans - Gabriel Sanchez - Michelle Au - Shea Roberts - Jasmine Clark text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1012/2025 upstream_id: 2073950 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - cervical cancer awareness - HPV vaccination - public health - health disparities - legislative commendation --- # HR 1012. The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium (a program of the Georgia Department of Public Health), and Cancer Pathways; exemplary contributions to cervical cancer education and awareness in Georgia; commend ## Text House Resolution 1012 By: Representatives Evans of the 57th, Sanchez of the 42nd, Au of the 50th, Roberts of the 52nd, and Clark of the 108th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium (a program of the Georgia Department of Public Health), and Cancer Pathways for their exemplary contributions to cervical cancer education and awareness in Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, January is designated by the United States Congress as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month; and WHEREAS, The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, HPV Cancer Free GA, and Cancer Pathways are steadfastly committed to advancing HPV awareness and cervical cancer elimination, prevention, screening, and education throughout Georgia; and WHEREAS, in recognition of their impactful work, Sharon J Hill and Demetrius Geiger are hereby honored as the 2026 Georgia HPV Community Champions; and WHEREAS, statewide, Georgia's cervical cancer screening (Pap test and/or HPV testing) rate is estimated around 76.5 percent, slightly below the national median of 77.7 percent, leaving approximately one in five women unscreened; and WHEREAS, significant geographical disparities exist within Georgia, including Forsyth, McIntosh, Towns, and Franklin counties reporting cervical cancer screening rates lower than 60 percent, underscoring inequities in access and outreach; and WHEREAS, as of 2023, 63 percent of Georgia adolescents (ages 13-17) are "up to date" on the HPV vaccination series—below the Healthy People 2030 target of 80 percent and lagging behind the United States average of 77 percent for at least one dose; and WHEREAS, in Georgia, an estimated 327 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually, with approximately 204 deaths due to the disease each year; and WHEREAS, cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in the 35-44 age group—the average United States age at diagnosis is about 50, and nearly 20 percent of cases occur after age 65. While many guidelines permit cessation of screening after 65 in individuals with a long history of normal results, those lacking such history should continue appropriate surveillance; and WHEREAS, as of recent data, 82 of Georgia's 159 counties have no OB/GYN provider, and 15 counties have only one OB/GYN, thereby limiting access to reproductive health and screening services; and WHEREAS, Black and Hispanic women in Georgia experience disproportionately higher incidence and mortality from HPV-associated cervical cancer, reflecting persistent racial and ethnic health disparities; and WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Georgia Department of Public Health, Black women in Georgia are nearly 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than twice as likely to die from the disease compared to other women, due in part to barriers such as limited access to care, lack of insurance, transportation challenges, and under-screening; and WHEREAS, the disparities are further compounded by social determinants of health—including income, geography, and healthcare infrastructure—that limit equitable access to HPV vaccination, early screening, and timely follow-up care in many rural and underserved communities; and WHEREAS, eliminating these disparities requires continued collaboration among state and local health agencies, advocacy organizations, and community leaders to expand prevention programs, improve culturally competent outreach, and ensure that all Georgians—regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code—benefit from the life-saving potential of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening; and WHEREAS, cervical cancer is among the most preventable and treatable cancers due to the availability of effective screening and the HPV vaccine; estimates suggest that up to 95 percent of cervical cancers could be avoided through widespread HPV vaccination, regular screening, and timely intervention; and WHEREAS, the HPV-associated cancer rate was 13.7/100,000 persons for both males and females. This rate is significantly higher than the United States national average of 12.6 per 100,000 persons. Men in Georgia (12.8) have a significantly higher rate of HPV-associated cancers than the United States average (11.4), and women (14.6) have a significantly higher rate of HPV-associated cancers than the United States average (13.9); and WHEREAS, the efforts of The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, and Cancer Pathways have elevated public awareness, improved knowledge of HPV vaccination and screening, and mobilized community action across Georgia; and WHEREAS, this year marks the 11th Anniversary of the advocacy efforts that began as The Susan Jolley Awareness Program and now continues as The Susan Jolley Foundation under the leadership of President Triana Arnold James. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend the 2026 Georgia HPV Community Champions for their outstanding leadership, dedication, and impact in promoting cervical cancer prevention and health equity in Georgia. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, HPV Cancer Free GA, and Cancer Pathways. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, and Cancer Pathways for their work on cervical cancer education, and honors two Georgians as 2026 HPV Community Champions. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives does not change any law. Instead it formally recognizes The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium (a program of the Georgia Department of Public Health), HPV Cancer Free GA, and Cancer Pathways for their efforts on HPV awareness and cervical cancer prevention, screening, and education in Georgia. The resolution cites statistics on cervical cancer screening rates, HPV vaccination rates, county-level gaps in OB/GYN access, and racial disparities in diagnosis and death rates among Black and Hispanic women in Georgia. It names Sharon J Hill and Demetrius Geiger as the 2026 Georgia HPV Community Champions and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the named organizations. ### What it does - Formally commends The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, and Cancer Pathways for their cervical cancer education and awareness work in Georgia. - Names Sharon J Hill and Demetrius Geiger as the 2026 Georgia HPV Community Champions. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the named organizations. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute; it is a commendation with no funding or regulatory effect. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, HPV Cancer Free GA, Cancer Pathways, and two individuals honored as HPV Community Champions. It also references the Georgia Department of Public Health and touches on Georgians affected by cervical cancer screening and OB/GYN access gaps. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal force, it publicly highlights disparities in cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and OB/GYN access across Georgia counties and among racial groups, drawing legislative attention to organizations working on these issues. ### Key provisions - The preamble cites Georgia's cervical cancer screening rate (about 76.5 percent) and HPV vaccination rate among adolescents (63 percent) compared to national benchmarks. - Notes that 82 of Georgia's 159 counties have no OB/GYN provider and 15 counties have only one. - Cites disparities showing Black women in Georgia are nearly 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than twice as likely to die from it. - The resolving clause commends the 2026 Georgia HPV Community Champions for their leadership on cervical cancer prevention and health equity. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the named organizations. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-13) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-13) - Sponsors: Stacey Evans, Gabriel Sanchez, Michelle Au, Shea Roberts, Jasmine Clark - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72191 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012.md?full=1