Georgia CommonsHR 1325: New Americans Day at the state capitol; February 12, 2026; recognize
Last action February 10, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A House resolution recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the Georgia state capitol, honoring the contributions of immigrants to the state.
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
This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol, continuing an annual celebration that has taken place for 13 years. The resolution cites statistics about foreign-born Georgians, including their share of the population, tax contributions, business ownership, and workforce participation, as well as Georgia's refugee resettlement history. The House of Representatives resolves to commend immigrants' contributions to Georgia and formally designate the date. It also directs the Clerk of the House to make copies of the resolution available to the public and the press. As a resolution rather than a bill, it carries no legal or regulatory effect and does not create funding, penalties, or new requirements.
What the bill does
- Formally designates February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the Georgia state capitol.
- Commends immigrants for their economic and civic contributions to Georgia without creating any legal obligation.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.
- Creates no funding, penalties, or changes to existing Georgia law, since it is a ceremonial resolution.
Who it affects
Foreign-born Georgians and immigrant communities are the subject of the recognition. The resolution also involves the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the House, who is tasked with distributing copies to the public and press.
Why it matters
The resolution has no binding legal effect, but it gives official state recognition to an annual celebration and publicly highlights data on immigrants' economic role in Georgia, which may shape public perception and press coverage of immigrant communities in the state.
Key provisions
- The resolving clause recognizes and commends the contributions of immigrants to Georgia and designates February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the capitol.
- A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.
- The whereas clauses cite statistics on foreign-born Georgians' population share, tax contributions, business ownership, and refugee resettlement outcomes, providing background but no operative legal effect.
From the bill
“the members of this body recognize and commend the manifold contributions of immigrants to the State of Georgia and recognize February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol.”
“foreign-born Georgians contribute $15.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes annually and represent over $44 billion in spending power”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Shea Roberts (D, HD-052)
- Saira Draper (D, HD-090)
- Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)
- Michelle Au (D, HD-050)
- Long Tran (D, HD-080)
- Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
Topics
- immigration
- New Americans Day
- state capitol recognition
- refugees
- Georgia economy