---
title: HR 1325. New Americans Day at the state capitol; February 12, 2026; recognize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1325
cite_as: HR 1325, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1325
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1325.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1325/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73107
date: 2026-02-10
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/hr1324.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1326.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 134
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1325.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1325
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-02-10
last_action: House Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Shea Roberts
  - Saira Draper
  - Karen Lupton
  - Michelle Au
  - Long Tran
  - Samuel Park
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1325/2025
upstream_id: 2113626
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - immigration
  - New Americans Day
  - state capitol recognition
  - refugees
  - Georgia economy
---

# HR 1325. New Americans Day at the state capitol; February 12, 2026; recognize

## Text

House Resolution 1325
By: Representatives Roberts of the 52nd, Draper of the 90th, Lupton of the 83rd, Au of the 50th,
Tran of the 80th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS, for the past 13 years, New Americans Day celebrations have brought hundreds
of new Americans, friends, and community supporters to the state capitol annually for a day
of education and celebration; and
WHEREAS, Georgia has a long history of extending welcome to new Americans from
around the world, giving them an opportunity to live, work, and thrive in the state; and
WHEREAS, today, 11 percent of Georgians–more than 1.2 million people– are foreign-born,
bringing valuable skills and talents from countries around the world to the state; and
WHEREAS, foreign-born Georgians contribute $15.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes
annually and represent over $44 billion in spending power; and
WHEREAS, approximately one in seven Georgia workers is foreign-born, and are twice as
likely to fill high-demand roles as home health aides, physicians, and surgeons as U.S.-born
workers; and
WHEREAS, foreign-born Georgians are 41 percent more likely than others to start new
businesses in the state, accounting for more than 20 percent of entrepreneurs in the state and
generating more than $3.4 billion in business income annually; and
WHEREAS, nearly half of all foreign-born Georgians are already naturalized United States
citizens eligible to vote and many more are on the path toward citizenship; and
WHEREAS, since the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan in August
2021and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Georgia has provided refuge to thousands
and granted humanitarian parole to escape those countries and come to safety in the United
States, including many who risked their lives to support the United States' mission overseas;
and
WHEREAS, Georgia has one of the oldest and most successful refugee programs in the
United States, with approximately 90 percent of refugees economically self-sufficient within
six months; and
WHEREAS, Georgia is a welcoming home for peoples of all origins and from all walks of
life, and it is abundantly fitting and proper that these new Americans be appropriately
recognized.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
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.
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 House resolution recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the Georgia state capitol, honoring the contributions of immigrants to the state.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-02-10)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-10)
- Sponsors: Shea Roberts, Saira Draper, Karen Lupton, Michelle Au, Long Tran, Samuel Park
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73107

> The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1325.md?full=1