---
title: HR 1427. Congress; pass Thiokol Memorial Gold Medical Act; urge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1427
cite_as: HR 1427, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1427
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1427.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1427/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73455
date: 2026-02-25
status: introduced
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/hr1426.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1428.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1427.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1427
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-02-20
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Steven Sainz
  - Bill Hitchens
  - Inga Willis
  - Buddy DeLoach
  - Rick Townsend
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1427/2025
upstream_id: 2121418
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Thiokol plant explosion
  - Congressional Gold Medal
  - Woodbine Georgia history
  - Vietnam War munitions workers
  - worker safety
---

# HR 1427. Congress; pass Thiokol Memorial Gold Medical Act; urge

## Text

House Resolution 1427
By: Representatives Sainz of the 180th, Hitchens of the 161st, Willis of the 55th, DeLoach of
the 167th, and Townsend of the 179th
A RESOLUTION
Urging Congress to pass the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, on February 3, 1971, the Thiokol plant in Woodbine, Georgia, which
manufactured trip flares for use during the Vietnam War, sustained a massive explosion that
claimed the lives of 29 employees: Celia Alberta, Ethel Banks, Annie C. Booth, Gloria W.
Booth, Bertha R. Brunswick, Bettie R. Burch, Charles Burch, James L. Chapman, Yvonne
M. Connelly, Jack Cox, Mae H. Davis, Mildred Davis, Howard Ellis Sr., Willie M. Fuller,
Pearlie M. Hutchinson, Annie M. James, Mack Kennedy, Essie D. King, Gracie M. Life,
Bertha M. Hill, Charles T. Monak, James Parland, Sandra R. Rauls, Cyrus D. Roberson,
Betty J. Roberts, Lillie B. Spells, Cheryl M. Sullivan, Mae A. Taylor, and Annie L. Williams;
and
WHEREAS, in May 1973, another worker, Joseph E. Wainright, died in a mortar shell
explosion at the same facility; and
WHEREAS, the Woodbine Thiokol Chemical Plant employees were members of the United
Chemical Workers Union 832 and the pioneers of men and women of all ethnicities working
together to earn equally an hourly wage, becoming the blueprint for the modern American
workplace; and
WHEREAS, the 600 government-contracted employees of the Woodbine Thiokol Chemical
Plant manufactured vital munitions for the United States Military during the Vietnam War
in Woodbine, Georgia; and
WHEREAS, on February 3, 1971, at 10:53 AM during Tripflare manufacturing operations
in Building M-132, an explosion occurred at the Woodbine Thiokol Chemical Plant; and
WHEREAS, on February 3, 1971, the United States Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, along
with civilian helicopter pilots, police officers, firemen, nurses, and doctors from 16 cities
and 14 hospitals, provided emergency rescue and medical care and fought to save lives; and
WHEREAS, the Thiokol explosion is the worst disaster in the history of southeastern
Georgia and is now ranked as the tenth out of 100 worst industrial accidents in United States
history in 100 years, which was triumphed over by the human spirit; and
WHEREAS, the 30 plant workers' lives were cut short in 1971 and 1973, but the tragic loss
of these Georgians changed the quality of life for millions of Americans, resulting in
improvements in transportation, emergency medical services, mass tort litigation, and plant
safety; and
WHEREAS, in 2026, United States Representative Buddy Carter introduced the Thiokol
Memorial Gold Medal Act, a bill that awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the 30 people
who died while in the service of their country during the historic explosion more than 50
years ago.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body urge Congress to enact the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act.
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
President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the
United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the Congressional delegation
from this state.

## 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 urges the U.S. Congress to pass the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act, which would award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 30 workers killed in the 1971 and 1973 Thiokol plant explosions in Woodbine, Georgia.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution recalls the February 3, 1971 explosion at the Thiokol Chemical Plant in Woodbine, Georgia, which killed 29 workers making trip flares for the Vietnam War, and a 1973 mortar shell explosion at the same plant that killed a 30th worker. It describes the scale of the rescue effort and notes the disaster ranks among the worst industrial accidents in U.S. history.
The resolution states that U.S. Representative Buddy Carter introduced a federal bill in 2026, the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act, to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 30 people who died. The Georgia House of Representatives uses this resolution to formally urge Congress to pass that federal bill. It also directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to the President, Vice President, the Speaker of the U.S. House, and Georgia's congressional delegation.

### What it does

- Formally urges the U.S. Congress to enact the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act, a federal bill honoring 30 workers who died at the Woodbine Thiokol plant.
- Directs the Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States.
- Directs distribution of copies to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and to each member of Georgia's congressional delegation.
- Recites the historical record of the 1971 and 1973 explosions as the basis for the request to Congress.

### Who it affects

This resolution primarily affects the families and memory of the 30 Thiokol plant workers who died, members of Georgia's congressional delegation who receive the resolution, and Congress itself as the body being asked to act. It has no direct legal effect on other Georgians.

### Why it matters

Because this is a resolution rather than a law, it does not itself award any medal or change any statute. Its practical effect is to put the Georgia House of Representatives on record supporting the federal Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act and to formally notify federal officials of that support.

### Key provisions

- Recounts that the February 3, 1971 explosion at the Woodbine Thiokol plant killed 29 workers during trip flare manufacturing for the Vietnam War.
- Notes a 1973 mortar shell explosion at the same plant killed a 30th worker, Joseph E. Wainright.
- States the resolved clause: the House urges Congress to enact the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act, which would award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 30 deceased workers.
- Directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the President, Vice President, the Speaker of the U.S. House, and Georgia's congressional delegation.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-25)
- Sponsors: Steven Sainz, Bill Hitchens, Inga Willis, Buddy DeLoach, Rick Townsend
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73455

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1427.md?full=1