--- title: HR 1122. The Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion of 1971; memorializing the victims; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1122 cite_as: HR 1122, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1122 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1122.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1122/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72542 date: 2026-01-28 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/hr1121.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1123.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1122.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1122 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-28 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Derrick Jackson - Kim Schofield - Sandra Scott - Viola Davis - Billy Mitchell text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1122/2025 upstream_id: 2100253 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Thiokol explosion - Woodbine Georgia history - workplace safety history - legislative memorial resolution --- # HR 1122. The Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion of 1971; memorializing the victims; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1122 By: Representatives Jackson of the 68th, Schofield of the 63rd, Scott of the 76th, Davis of the 87th, and Mitchell of the 88th A RESOLUTION Memorializing the victims of the Thiokol Chemical Corporation explosion of 1971; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, on February 3, 1971, at approximately 10:53 a.m., the ground trembled in the City of Woodbine, Georgia, and across the Southeast as a catastrophic fiery explosion engulfed Building M-132 at the Thiokol Chemical Corporation plant; and WHEREAS, the force of the blast was felt as far away as Jacksonville, Florida, and Brunswick, Georgia, marking one of the worst industrial disasters in the history of the United States, alongside the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the West Fertilizer Plant explosion; and WHEREAS, 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, leaving a legacy of trauma that haunted survivors and the Woodbine community for decades; and WHEREAS, these workers were more than employees; they were patriots and providers who sought these roles to lift their families out of poverty during an era when domestic and agricultural jobs were the only other options available to them; and WHEREAS, the aftermath of this disaster catalyzed pivotal changes in American law and safety, including the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just months later to ensure safe working conditions for all Americans; and WHEREAS, the legal battle following the explosion lasted 17 years and led to significant advancements in tort reform, which ultimately provided the legal framework used to compensate victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks; and WHEREAS, the tragedy transformed emergency response forever, triggering the transition from private ambulance services to the modern Fire-EMS systems we rely on today; and WHEREAS, it is only fitting and proper that the State of Georgia honors the memory of those who perished and acknowledges the profound impact their sacrifice had on the safety and justice systems of our nation. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that 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. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following individuals are hereby remembered for their service and sacrifice: Gertrude Anderson, Mary Alice Baker, Emma Lou Barton, Kathy Marie Barton, Peggy Barton, Clementine Benett, Pauline S. Benson, Annie Ruth Booth, Yvonne D. Booth, Ethel L. Brown, Lacy C. Brown, Mable L. Brown, Marie H. Brown, Altamease S. Coakley, Irene W. Free, Ethelyne B. Gathers, Hester L. Gathers, Catherene G. Graham, Ida May Hall, Thelma Hammon, Mamie L. Kemp, Celia S. Miller, Elizabeth Moore, Annie Bell Nelson, Gladys V. Nelson, Cena Mae S. Sheffield, Thelma G. Sifford, Sallie G. Thompson, and Leola S. Williams. 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 Thiokol Memorial Museum, the public, and the press. ## 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 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. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-28) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-28) - Sponsors: Derrick Jackson, Kim Schofield, Sandra Scott, Viola Davis, Billy Mitchell - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72542 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1122.md?full=1