--- title: HR 1185. Day of Democracy; January 26, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1185 cite_as: HR 1185, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1185 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1185.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1185/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72748 date: 2026-02-02 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/hr1184.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1186.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1185.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1185 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-02 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Esther Panitch - Sharon Cooper - Scott Hilton - Lauren McDonald - Carter Barrett text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1185/2025 upstream_id: 2104342 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Indian American community - Georgia House of Representatives - India Georgia relations --- # HR 1185. Day of Democracy; January 26, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1185 By: Representatives Panitch of the 51st, Cooper of the 45th, Hilton of the 48th, McDonald III of the 26th, and Barrett of the 24th A RESOLUTION Recognizing January 26, 2026, as Day of Democracy; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of India, that is Bharat, declared itself to be a Democratic Republic by the adoption of a Constitution on January 26, 1950; and WHEREAS, the State of India, that is Bharat, has modeled its Constitution in significant ways on the United States constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, Separation of Powers, and the system of Judicial review; and WHEREAS, the State of India, that is Bharat, has existed as a continuous democracy since 1950, in a region that has seen many nations stray from that path; and WHEREAS, the state of Georgia has become home to a large community of United States citizens who have immigrated legally from India; and WHEREAS, the Indian American community in Georgia has contributed significantly to the economic, cultural, and spiritual growth of Georgia and the United States; and WHEREAS,the State of Georgia and the Republic of India have developed strong economic ties and continue to build a mutually beneficial relationship. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize January 26, 2026, being the 76th year since India became a Democratic Republic with the adoption of a Constitution, as a Day of Democracy signifying the close ties between our two States as the oldest and largest democracies. 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 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 recognizes January 26, 2026 as a Day of Democracy, marking the 76th anniversary of India's constitution and honoring ties between Georgia and India's Indian American community. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives designates January 26, 2026 as Day of Democracy. The date marks 76 years since India adopted its Constitution in 1950, becoming a Democratic Republic with a governing framework that drew on elements of the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, and judicial review. The resolution notes that Georgia is home to a large community of United States citizens who immigrated legally from India and highlights their economic, cultural, and spiritual contributions to the state and the country. It also points to economic ties between Georgia and India. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and press. It does not change any Georgia law. ### What it does - Formally recognizes January 26, 2026 as Day of Democracy in the Georgia House of Representatives. - States the House's recognition of the 76th anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution as a Democratic Republic. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. - Contains no changes to Georgia statutes, funding, or penalties, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a law. ### Who it affects The resolution most directly concerns Georgia's Indian American community, whose contributions the House highlights. It also reflects on the relationship between the State of Georgia and the Republic of India, though it creates no legal obligations for any group. ### Why it matters Because this is a ceremonial resolution rather than binding legislation, it does not change any rights, funding, or rules. Its practical effect is symbolic: a formal statement from the Georgia House acknowledging the Indian American community and economic ties between Georgia and India. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe India's 1950 Constitution and its similarities to the United States Constitution. - The resolved clause formally designates January 26, 2026 as Day of Democracy, marking the 76th year of India's Democratic Republic. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available for public and press distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-02) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-02) - Sponsors: Esther Panitch, Sharon Cooper, Scott Hilton, Lauren McDonald, Carter Barrett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72748 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1185.md?full=1