--- title: HR 1540. Washington, Senior Chief Earnest C.; retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1540 cite_as: HR 1540, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1540 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1540.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1540/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73810 date: 2026-03-03 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/hr1539.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1541.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1540.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1540 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-03 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Kimberly Alexander - Kimberly New - Sylvia Baker text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1540/2025 upstream_id: 2128591 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - veterans affairs - military service commendation - Georgia House resolution - Savannah Georgia --- # HR 1540. Washington, Senior Chief Earnest C.; retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; commend ## Text House Resolution 1540 By: Representatives Alexander of the 66th, New of the 40th, and Baker of the 64th A RESOLUTION Honoring Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington upon his retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs and prior decades-long service to the United States Navy; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington, a proud native of Savannah, Georgia, has devoted a lifetime to service, leadership, and excellence, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to both country and community; and WHEREAS, after more than twenty years of honorable service in the United States Navy, Mr. Washington retired, and later began his federal civilian career with the Department of Veterans Affairs is 2008, as a Rating Veterans Service Representative, exemplifying that service to Veterans was not merely a profession, but a lifelong calling; and WHEREAS, throughout his tenure at the Atlanta Regional VA Office, Mr. Washington distinguished himself as a respected leader, mentor, and advocate, progressing through multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Coach, Coach, and ultimately, in April 2015, promotion to Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager; and WHEREAS, in every role, Mr. Washington made a lasting impact—strengthening operations, mentoring staff, and upholding the highest standards of service for the men and women who served our nation; and WHEREAS, Mr. Washington's career reflects the highest ideals of servant leadership, grounded in integrity, discipline, and a profound commitment to community; and WHEREAS, his personal life mirrors his professional accomplishments, as he and his devoted wife, Marcia Washington, a fellow Navy retiree and former VA Atlanta Regional employee, have shared 36 years of marriage and nurtured a family committed to service and leadership; and WHEREAS, their three children and six grandchildren continue the family's legacy of service and community engagement, further exemplifying the enduring impact of a family dedicated to service, mentorship, and community contribution; and WHEREAS, Senior Chief Washington officially retires on January 31, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, leadership, and service, and entering a well-earned chapter with more time to spend with family and loved ones; and WHEREAS, his contributions to Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the community will be remembered for years to come. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor and commend Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington for his extraordinary service to the United States Navy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the community of Douglasville, Georgia, as well as extends their deepest gratitude to Senior Chief Washington and his family for their unwavering dedication, exemplary leadership, and lifelong commitment to service. 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 Senior Chief Washington. ## 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 Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington of Savannah for his Navy service and career at the Department of Veterans Affairs upon his retirement. ### Plain-language summary This House resolution recognizes Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington, a Savannah native who served more than twenty years in the United States Navy before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008. It traces his career at the Atlanta Regional VA Office, where he rose from Rating Veterans Service Representative through several leadership roles to Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager in 2015. The resolution also acknowledges his family life, including 36 years of marriage to his wife Marcia Washington, a fellow Navy retiree, and their three children and six grandchildren. It formally commends Washington for his service to the Navy, the VA, and the Douglasville community as he retires on January 31, 2026, and directs the Clerk of the House to provide him a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally commends Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington for his service in the United States Navy and at the Department of Veterans Affairs. - Recognizes his career progression at the Atlanta Regional VA Office, including his 2015 promotion to Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager. - Acknowledges his family, including his wife, three children, and six grandchildren, for their shared commitment to service. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Washington. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Senior Chief Earnest C. Washington and his family. It has no regulatory effect on the public and does not change any Georgia law, agency, or program. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic and ceremonial weight rather than legal effect. It creates an official House record honoring Washington's Navy and VA career and provides him and his family a formal, lasting acknowledgment from the Georgia House of Representatives. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Washington's over twenty years in the Navy and his subsequent VA career beginning in 2008. - The resolution notes his April 2015 promotion to Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager at the Atlanta Regional VA Office. - The resolving clause formally commends Washington for his service to the Navy, the VA, and the Douglasville community. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available to Washington. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-03) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Kimberly Alexander, Kimberly New, Sylvia Baker - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73810 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1540.md?full=1