--- title: HR 111. Interfaith organizations and volunteers involved in disaster cleanup efforts; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr111 cite_as: HR 111, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr111 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr111.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr111/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69686 date: 2025-01-29 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/hr110.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr112.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr111.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 111 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-29 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lehman Franklin - Carmen Rice - William Werkheiser - John Corbett - Leesa Hagan - Rob Clifton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR111/2025 upstream_id: 1947570 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - disaster relief - Hurricane Helene - volunteerism - faith-based organizations - legislative commendation --- # HR 111. Interfaith organizations and volunteers involved in disaster cleanup efforts; commend ## Text House Resolution 111 By: Representatives Franklin of the 160th, Rice of the 139th, Werkheiser of the 157th, Corbett of the 174th, Hagan of the 156th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the interfaith organizations and volunteers involved in disaster cleanup efforts; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has faced numerous natural disasters that have caused significant damage and hardship to its residents; and WHEREAS, in times of crisis, communities come together to support one another, demonstrating the strength and resilience of the human spirit; and WHEREAS, interfaith and religious organizations and volunteers have played a crucial role in disaster cleanup efforts, providing essential services, resources, and support to those affected; and WHEREAS, these interfaith efforts have fostered unity, understanding, and cooperation among diverse religious communities, showcasing the power of collaboration and compassion; and WHEREAS, the dedication and hard work of these volunteers has significantly contributed to the recovery and rebuilding of affected areas, helping to restore hope and normalcy to the lives of many Georgians; and WHEREAS, according to reports from local faith-based organizations, tens of thousands of volunteers participated in disaster relief efforts in Georgia following Hurricane Helene, contributing more than one million total volunteer hours, with teams working in some of the most impacted areas to clear debris, repair homes, and provide direct assistance to many thousands of affected residents; and WHEREAS, many churches and faith organizations came to their fellow citizens' needs for disaster relief; and WHEREAS, volunteer labor from church members and faith-based organizations, who traveled from as far away as South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida to help Georgia homeowners in need, included efforts such as tending to damaged homes, removing fallen trees, and cleaning up storm debris. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend the invaluable contributions of the interfaith organizations and volunteers in disaster cleanup efforts as well as encourage continued support and collaboration among all communities to strengthen our collective ability to respond to and recover from future disasters. 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 leaders of the interfaith organizations involved in disaster cleanup efforts. ## 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 interfaith organizations and volunteers who helped clean up after Hurricane Helene and other disasters, without creating any new law or funding. ### Plain-language summary This House resolution recognizes the role that interfaith and religious organizations played in disaster recovery efforts across Georgia, particularly after Hurricane Helene. It cites reports that tens of thousands of volunteers contributed more than one million volunteer hours clearing debris, repairing homes, and assisting residents in some of the hardest-hit areas. The resolution states that the House of Representatives commends these groups and encourages continued cooperation among communities to respond to future disasters. It also directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the leaders of the interfaith organizations involved. As a resolution rather than a bill, it does not change Georgia law, create programs, or spend state money; it is a formal statement of appreciation. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends interfaith organizations and volunteers for disaster cleanup work following Hurricane Helene and other disasters. - States that volunteers contributed more than one million total volunteer hours clearing debris, repairing homes, and assisting residents. - Encourages continued support and collaboration among communities to improve future disaster response and recovery. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to leaders of the interfaith organizations involved. ### Who it affects The resolution names interfaith and faith-based organizations and their volunteers, including out-of-state groups from South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida, along with Georgia homeowners affected by disasters and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must distribute copies. ### Why it matters While the resolution creates no new funding, requirements, or legal changes, it gives official state recognition to volunteer disaster relief work, which may raise public awareness of faith-based recovery efforts and encourage similar cooperation during future disasters in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause commends interfaith organizations and volunteers for their contributions to disaster cleanup efforts in Georgia. - The resolution encourages continued collaboration among communities to strengthen future disaster response and recovery capabilities. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to leaders of the involved interfaith organizations. - The whereas clauses cite reports that volunteers logged more than one million hours after Hurricane Helene, working in the most impacted areas. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-29) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-29) - Sponsors: Lehman Franklin, Carmen Rice, William Werkheiser, John Corbett, Leesa Hagan, Rob Clifton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69686 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr111.md?full=1