--- title: HR 154. Morehouse School of Medicine; 50th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr154 cite_as: HR 154, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr154 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr154.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr154/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69901 date: 2025-02-04 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/hr153.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr155.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr154.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 154 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Butch Parrish - Jon Burns - Carolyn Hugley - Samuel Park - Jan Jones - Darlene Taylor text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR154/2025 upstream_id: 1955708 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Morehouse School of Medicine - medical education - Georgia healthcare workforce - legislative commendation --- # HR 154. Morehouse School of Medicine; 50th anniversary; recognize ## Text House Resolution 154 By: Representatives Parrish of the 158th, Burns of the 159th, Hugley of the 141st, Park of the 107th, Jones of the 47th, and others A RESOLUTION Commending Morehouse School of Medicine upon its 50th anniversary; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Dr. Louis Brown, an internal medicine physician in Atlanta, proposed the idea for a new medical school to the presidents of the Atlanta University Center schools in 1969; and WHEREAS, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation supported a feasibility study to investigate the idea for a new medical school, and then Morehouse College President Dr. Hugh M. Gloster expressed interest in establishing a medical school at the college; and WHEREAS, in 1975, Morehouse College recruited Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, a Morehouse graduate, to serve as the first president and academic dean of the Medical Education Program at Morehouse College, with a vision to diversify the healthcare workforce and provide primary healthcare in underserved rural and urban communities; and WHEREAS, in 1977, the State of Georgia appropriated $1 million as a state operating grant to support the operations of the new program at Morehouse College; and WHEREAS, Morehouse School of Medicine began in a single trailer on the campus of Morehouse College in the summer of 1978 with an inaugural class of 24 students in its two-year medical sciences program, allowing students to transfer to four-year institutions to complete their education; and WHEREAS, the medical school was incorporated in Georgia in 1980, officially became an independent institution in 1981, and established a four-year medical school in 1985 as the Morehouse School of Medicine; and WHEREAS, 3,283 students, including 1,867 physicians, have graduated from Morehouse School of Medicine, and approximately 60 percent of the MD graduates who have completed residency are practicing in Georgia; and WHEREAS, Morehouse School of Medicine has significantly expanded its physical footprint, academic programs, research initiatives, and physician class size under the leadership of its first and only woman President and CEO, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly proper and fitting that the accomplishments of this distinguished Georgia institution be appropriately recognized on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend Morehouse School of Medicine upon its 50th anniversary celebration in the State of Georgia, without which students would not have access to quality education, research would not have been conducted, and healthcare access would not have expanded as broadly across the state. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Morehouse School of Medicine. ## 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 commends Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta for reaching its 50th anniversary, recognizing the school's history and its role training doctors for the state. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution, not a change to Georgia law. It recounts the history of Morehouse School of Medicine, from a 1969 proposal by Dr. Louis Brown through its founding as a two-year medical sciences program in 1978, its incorporation in 1980, independence in 1981, and full four-year medical school status in 1985. The resolution notes that the school has graduated 3,283 students, including 1,867 physicians, with about 60 percent of MD graduates who finished residency now practicing in Georgia. The House formally commends the school on its anniversary and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Morehouse School of Medicine. ### What it does - Formally commends Morehouse School of Medicine on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. - Recites the school's founding history, from its 1969 proposal through becoming a four-year medical school in 1985. - States graduation and workforce figures, including that about 60 percent of MD graduates who completed residency practice in Georgia. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to Morehouse School of Medicine. - Does not create any new law, funding, or program; it is a commendation only. ### Who it affects Morehouse School of Medicine, its faculty, students, and alumni are the direct subject of this resolution. It has no legal or regulatory effect on other institutions, agencies, or individuals in Georgia. ### Why it matters The resolution has no binding legal effect and changes no Georgia law or funding. Its practical impact is symbolic: it places the General Assembly's recognition of the school's 50-year history and contribution to Georgia's physician workforce into the official record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses trace the school's history from a 1969 proposal to its 1985 establishment as a four-year medical school. - The resolution cites a 1977 state operating grant of $1 million that supported the program's early operations at Morehouse College. - The operative resolving clause commends the school on its 50th anniversary but creates no ongoing obligation or funding. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to the school. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-04) - Sponsors: Butch Parrish, Jon Burns, Carolyn Hugley, Samuel Park, Jan Jones, Darlene Taylor - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69901 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr154.md?full=1