---
title: HR 1465. Patafio, Alexandra "Alex" Marie; honoring the life and enduring legacy; indelible contributions to the Georgia legal community while a student at the Georgia State University College of Law; condolences
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1465
cite_as: HR 1465, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1465
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1465.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1465/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73598
date: 2026-02-24
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.
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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1466.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 134
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1465.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1465
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-02-24
last_action: House Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Samuel Park
  - Jan Jones
  - Trey Kelley
  - El-Mahdi Holly
  - Betsy Holland
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1465/2025
upstream_id: 2123557
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - legislative tribute
  - Georgia State University College of Law
  - public interest law
  - drunk driving
---

# HR 1465. Patafio, Alexandra "Alex" Marie; honoring the life and enduring legacy; indelible contributions to the Georgia legal community while a student at the Georgia State University College of Law; condolences

## Text

House Resolution 1465
By: Representatives Park of the 107th, Jones of the 47th, Kelley of the 16th, Holly of the 116th,
and Holland of the 54th
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing and honoring the life and enduring legacy of Alexandra "Alex" Marie Patafio
for her indelible contributions to the Georgia legal community while a student at the Georgia
State University College of Law; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Alexandra Marie Patafio, affectionately known as Alex, enrolled in the Georgia
State University College of Law in August 2020; and
WHEREAS, in a class of 215, Alex instantly became a standout as a natural born leader and
trailblazer; and
WHEREAS, to her classmates, Alex was known for her charisma and contagious spirit,
having adopted the motto "Do It Scared" because she knew any fears she had mattered less
than the impact she could have on someone in need; and
WHEREAS, Alex was known to her professors as that rare type of student who could and
did lead the charge to reinvigorate a community and as someone who had an unrelenting
desire to not only know the law, but to seek justice; and
WHEREAS, these characteristics led her to become active with various initiatives offered
by the College of Law including its Health Legal Partnership (HeLP) Clinic and the
Alternative Spring Break pro bono program coordinated by its Center for Access to Justice;
and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her fearless advocacy on behalf of children and families
receiving care at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Alex was awarded the HeLP Legal
Services Clinic Award; and
WHEREAS, as a student leader in the Center for Access to Justice Alternative Spring Break
program, Alex was instrumental in helping find resources for more than 1,000 tenants facing
eviction, earning high praise and acclaim from the White House and the United States
Department of Justice; and
WHEREAS, through her work in pro bono projects Alex played a vital role in helping secure
the dismissal of criminal charges on behalf of a wrongfully accused individual who had spent
months incarcerated, and her efforts were commended by the Superior Court of DeKalb
County and featured on WSB-TV news; and
WHEREAS, on October 7, 2022, two months after her 30th birthday, and just seven months
shy of earning her law degree, her short life came to a catastrophic end as a result of one bad
decision of a drunk driver; and
WHEREAS, in life, Alex infused every program she participated in at the Georgia State
University College of Law with her boundless energy and impassioned devotion to the values
of equal justice for all; and
WHEREAS, despite this heartrending loss, her memory lives on through the "Alex Patafio
Public Interest Leadership Award," given to students who demonstrate exceptional promise
in the field of public interest law; the "Class of 2023 Alex Patafio Scholarship," established
by her graduating class to support future students who desire to become advocates for the
overlooked and underserved; and the Alex Patafio Foundation, established to create a world
where alcohol related fatalities are nonexistent; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia State University College of Law thought it fitting and proper to
posthumously award Alex the Juris Doctor degree with the distinction of a Certificate in
Public Interest Law and Policy at the Commencement Ceremonies of May 2023.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body celebrate and honor the memory of Alexandra "Alex" Marie
Patafio for the indelible contributions she made to the Georgia legal community, her
treasured impact on the Georgia State University College of Law, and her inspiring
commitment to access to justice.
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 her
parents, Chris and Michelle Patafio; her sister, Michaela Patafio Abdou; the Board of
Directors of the Alex Patafio Foundation; and to Courtney L. Anderson, Dean of the Georgia
State University College of Law.

## 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 honors the life of Alexandra "Alex" Marie Patafio, a Georgia State University College of Law student who died in 2022, for her work in public interest law.

### Plain-language summary

This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes Alexandra "Alex" Marie Patafio, a student at the Georgia State University College of Law who was killed by a drunk driver in October 2022, seven months before she would have earned her law degree.
The resolution describes her work with the school's Health Legal Partnership Clinic, its Alternative Spring Break pro bono program, and her role helping tenants facing eviction and a wrongfully accused person get criminal charges dismissed. It notes the college posthumously awarded her a Juris Doctor degree in 2023 and that scholarships and an award now bear her name. The House directs the Clerk to send copies of the resolution to her family, the Alex Patafio Foundation's board, and the law school's dean.

### What it does

- Formally honors and celebrates the memory of Alexandra "Alex" Marie Patafio on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Recounts her pro bono and clinical work at the Georgia State University College of Law, including help for tenants facing eviction and a wrongfully accused individual.
- Directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to her parents, sister, the Alex Patafio Foundation's board, and the law school's dean.
- Creates no new law, funding, or legal requirement; it is a symbolic tribute.

### Who it affects

The resolution most directly touches Alexandra Patafio's family and the Alex Patafio Foundation, who receive copies of it, and the Georgia State University College of Law community, including its dean, students, and the programs she was part of.

### Why it matters

The resolution carries no legal or financial effect but serves as an official public record of the Georgia House recognizing her contributions to legal aid work and the impact of her death, which involved a drunk driving crash.

### Key provisions

- The preamble recounts her enrollment, clinical work, awards, and death in a drunk driving crash on October 7, 2022.
- The resolving clause has the House of Representatives celebrate and honor her memory and her contributions to the Georgia legal community.
- A further resolution clause directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to her parents, sister, the Alex Patafio Foundation board, and the law school's dean.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-02-24)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-24)
- Sponsors: Samuel Park, Jan Jones, Trey Kelley, El-Mahdi Holly, Betsy Holland
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73598

> The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1465.md?full=1