--- title: HR 1043. Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day; February 5, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1043 cite_as: HR 1043, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1043 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1043.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1043/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72315 date: 2026-01-16 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/hr1042.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1044.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1043.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1043 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-16 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sharon Cooper - Lee Hawkins - Gerald Greene - Reynaldo Martinez text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1043/2025 upstream_id: 2085246 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - dental hygienists - oral health - public health recognition - Georgia House resolutions --- # HR 1043. Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day; February 5, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1043 By: Representatives Cooper of the 45th, Hawkins of the 27th, Greene of the 154th, and Martinez of the 111th A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 5, 2026, as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, dental hygienists, as licensed oral health care professionals, have been promoting oral health and preventing oral disease in Georgia for more than 75 years; and WHEREAS, dental hygienists, as preventive specialists, contribute to the oral and total health of Georgia residents as well as provide essential services and education to prevent disease; and WHEREAS, regular preventive checkups and cleanings, brushing and flossing, eating a well-balanced diet, and monitoring gums for signs of gum disease are basic steps to ensuring good oral hygiene and care; and WHEREAS, many dental hygienists voluntarily give of their time and talent to provide educational and preventive oral health care services to special needs groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and the underprivileged; and WHEREAS, dental hygienists are essential in dental offices, public health facilities, schools, private organizations, and research facilities to provide the best oral health care for all citizens. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize February 5, 2026, as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day in the State of Georgia and encourage our citizens to honor dental hygienists for the vital services they provide in maintaining good oral hygiene and dental health. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Georgia Dental Hygienists' Association. ## 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 designates February 5, 2026 as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day, honoring the role dental hygienists play in oral health care across the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes February 5, 2026 as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day in the State of Georgia. It notes that dental hygienists have worked as licensed oral health care professionals in Georgia for more than 75 years, providing preventive care, education, and services in dental offices, schools, public health facilities, and research settings, including volunteer work for elderly, disabled, and underprivileged people. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or requirement. It simply asks Georgians to honor dental hygienists for their work, and it directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the Georgia Dental Hygienists' Association. ### What it does - Designates February 5, 2026 as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day in the State of Georgia. - Encourages Georgia citizens to honor dental hygienists for their role in maintaining oral hygiene and dental health. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the Georgia Dental Hygienists' Association. ### Who it affects This mainly concerns dental hygienists working in Georgia dental offices, schools, public health facilities, and research settings, as well as the Georgia Dental Hygienists' Association, which will receive a copy of the resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic weight rather than legal or financial effect. It gives formal state recognition to dental hygienists' work, which may raise public awareness of their role in preventive oral health care, but it changes no laws or funding. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe dental hygienists' history and role in Georgia, providing background rather than binding rules. - The resolved clause formally designates February 5, 2026 as Dental Hygienists Appreciation Day in Georgia. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute a copy to the Georgia Dental Hygienists' Association. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-16) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-16) - Sponsors: Sharon Cooper, Lee Hawkins, Gerald Greene, Reynaldo Martinez - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72315 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1043.md?full=1