Georgia CommonsHR 1122: The Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion of 1971; memorializing the victims; condolences
Last action January 28, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution formally memorializes the 29 workers, mostly Black women, killed in the 1971 Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion in Woodbine and expresses condolences to their families and community.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
On February 3, 1971, an explosion at the Thiokol Chemical Corporation plant in Woodbine, Georgia killed 29 workers, most of them Black women, and injured at least 50 more. This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives formally memorializes those victims and offers sympathy to their families and the Woodbine community. The resolution names all 29 workers who died individually so their service and sacrifice are recorded in the legislative record. It also recounts the disaster's broader effects, including the creation of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) months later and a 17-year legal case that influenced later compensation frameworks, including for September 11 victims. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press. It does not create any new law, funding, or program; it is a formal statement of remembrance.
What the bill does
- Formally memorializes the 29 workers killed in the 1971 Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion in Woodbine, Georgia.
- Expresses the House of Representatives' sympathy to the victims' families and the Woodbine community.
- Individually names all 29 victims to record their service and sacrifice in the legislative record.
- Directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press.
Who it affects
The resolution directly honors the families of the 29 workers killed in the explosion and the Woodbine, Georgia community. It also involves the Thiokol Memorial Museum, which will receive copies, and the Clerk of the House, who is tasked with distributing them.
Why it matters
While the resolution does not change any law or provide funding, it creates an official state record honoring the victims and acknowledging the disaster's role in shaping national workplace safety rules and legal frameworks, giving the Woodbine community formal public recognition of its loss.
Key provisions
- The preamble recounts the explosion at Building M-132 on February 3, 1971, which killed 29 workers and injured at least 50 others.
- The preamble links the disaster to the creation of OSHA and to legal changes later used to compensate September 11 victims.
- The first resolving clause has the House join in memorializing the victims and expressing sympathy to their families and the Woodbine community.
- The second resolving clause lists all 29 victims by name for formal remembrance.
- The final resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press.
From the bill
“this tragedy claimed the lives of 29 dedicated workers–a majority of whom were Black women–and left at least 50 others with life-altering injuries”
“the members of this body join in memorializing the victims of the Thiokol chemical explosion and express their deepest sympathy to the families and the Woodbine community”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)
- Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
- Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
- Viola Davis (D, HD-087)
- Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
Topics
- Thiokol explosion
- Woodbine Georgia history
- workplace safety history
- legislative memorial resolution