--- title: HR 1066. Washington, Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington; retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1066 cite_as: HR 1066, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1066 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1066.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1066/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72415 date: 2026-01-27 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/hr1065.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1067.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1066.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1066 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-27 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Kimberly Alexander - Kimberly New text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1066/2025 upstream_id: 2095166 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - veterans affairs - military service commendation - Georgia House resolution - Savannah Georgia --- # HR 1066. Washington, Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington; retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; commend ## Text House Resolution 1066 By: Representatives Alexander of the 66th and New of the 40th A RESOLUTION Honoring Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington upon his retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington, a proud native of Savannah, Georgia, has devoted a lifetime to service, leadership, and excellence, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to both country and community; and WHEREAS, after more than twenty years of honorable service in the United States Navy, Mr. Washington retired, and later began his federal civilian career with the Department of Veterans Affairs is 2008, as a Rating Veterans Service Representative, exemplifying that service to Veterans was not merely a profession, but a lifelong calling; and WHEREAS, throughout his tenure at the Atlanta Regional VA Office, Mr. Washington distinguished himself as a respected leader, mentor, and advocate, progressing through multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Coach, Coach, and ultimately, in April 2015, promotion to Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager; and WHEREAS, in every role, Mr. Washington made a lasting impact—strengthening operations, mentoring staff, and upholding the highest standards of service for the men and women who served our nation; and WHEREAS, Mr. Washington's career reflects the highest ideals of servant leadership, grounded in integrity, discipline, and a profound commitment to community; and WHEREAS, his personal life mirrors his professional accomplishments, as he and his devoted wife, Marcia Washington, a fellow Navy retiree and former VA Atlanta Regional employee, have shared 36 years of marriage and nurtured a family committed to service and leadership; and WHEREAS, their three children and six grandchildren continue the family's legacy of service and community engagement, further exemplifying the enduring impact of a family dedicated to service, mentorship, and community contribution; and WHEREAS, Senior Chief Washington officially retires on January 31, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, leadership, and service, and entering a well-earned chapter with more time to spend with family and loved ones; and WHEREAS, his contributions to Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the community will be remembered for years to come. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor and commend Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington for his extraordinary service to the United States Navy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the community of Douglasville, Georgia, as well as extends their deepest gratitude to Senior Chief Washington and his family for their unwavering dedication, exemplary leadership, and lifelong commitment to service. 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 Senior Chief Washington. ## 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 formally commends Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington of Savannah for his Navy service and his career at the Department of Veterans Affairs, marking his 2025 retirement. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington, who served more than twenty years in the United States Navy before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008 as a Rating Veterans Service Representative at the Atlanta Regional VA Office. It recounts his rise through leadership roles there, including Assistant Coach, Coach, and Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager in 2015, as well as his family life with his wife Marcia Washington, also a Navy retiree and former VA employee, and their three children and six grandchildren. The resolution states Washington officially retired on January 31, 2025. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to him. Like other commendation resolutions, it does not change any Georgia law; it is a formal statement of recognition passed by the House. ### What it does - Formally commends Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington for his Navy service and career at the Department of Veterans Affairs. - States the House's gratitude to Washington and his family for their service and leadership. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare an official copy of the resolution for Washington. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial recognition rather than a policy change. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington and his wife, Marcia Washington, both Navy retirees and VA employees, along with their family. It has no broader legal effect on other Georgians. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical or legal effect on Georgians beyond formally recognizing one individual's military and federal civilian career. Its significance is symbolic and personal, giving Washington and his family official recognition from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause states the House of Representatives honors and commends Washington for his service to the Navy, the VA, and the Douglasville community. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Washington. - The whereas clauses recount his Navy service, his 2008 hire at the VA, his 2015 promotion, and his January 31, 2025 retirement date. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-27) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-27) - Sponsors: Kimberly Alexander, Kimberly New - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72415 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1066.md?full=1