---
title: HR 1545. Cole, Jesse and Emily; Banana Ball and Bananas Foster; commend
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1545
cite_as: HR 1545, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1545
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1545.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1545/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73815
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/hr1544.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1546.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 134
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1545.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1545
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:
  - Ron Stephens
  - Jesse Petrea
  - Edna Jackson
  - Bill Hitchens
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1545/2025
upstream_id: 2128655
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - foster care
  - Savannah Bananas
  - Banana Ball
  - legislative commendation
  - nonprofit organizations
---

# HR 1545. Cole, Jesse and Emily; Banana Ball and Bananas Foster; commend

## Text

House Resolution 1545
By: Representatives Stephens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, Jackson of the 165th, and
Hitchens of the 161st
A RESOLUTION
Honoring and celebrating Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes the extraordinary success and public support
of the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball; and
WHEREAS, on February 25, 2016, Jesse and Emily Cole created a national
phenomenon—establishing the Savannah Bananas; and
WHEREAS, the Savannah Bananas have sold out every game since 2018, becoming one of
the great sports success stories and being recognized nationally as the "Greatest Show In
Sports"; and
WHEREAS, using their iconic sports platform, Jesse and Emily Cole, who already serve as
foster parents, created Bananas Foster; and
WHEREAS, Bananas Foster is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing families together by
celebrating the foster care community while educating and inspiring others to get involved;
and
WHEREAS, Bananas Foster, the official nonprofit of Banana Ball, selects a "Bananas Foster
Family" (BFF) for a backstage experience at each Banana Ball game; and
WHEREAS, due to the iconic presence and platform of the Savannah Bananas, the need for
foster care parents has been featured and promoted in media such as the Today show, ABC
News, CBS News, Sports Illustrated, and other national outlets; and
WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has 9,500 children in foster care, and a need for additional
foster parents clearly exists; and
WHEREAS, the national attention Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster
have engineered has allowed a spotlight to be shown on the foster family need in Georgia and
across the United States.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body honor Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster;
celebrate the achievements and success of their campaign to raise awareness of the need for
foster care parents; and express their gratitude for the investment and focus on the foster care
community and the needs of children in Georgia and nationwide.
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 Jesse
and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster.

## 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 Jesse and Emily Cole, the founders of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, and their nonprofit Bananas Foster for raising awareness about foster care needs in Georgia.

### Plain-language summary

This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes Jesse and Emily Cole, who created the Savannah Bananas baseball team and its entertainment brand Banana Ball, along with their nonprofit organization Bananas Foster.
The resolution states that Bananas Foster works to bring attention to the foster care community by featuring a 'Bananas Foster Family' at each Banana Ball game and by using national media coverage to highlight the need for foster parents. It notes that Georgia has 9,500 children in foster care. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies for distribution to the Coles, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster as a formal token of recognition.

### What it does

- Formally honors and celebrates Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and the nonprofit Bananas Foster on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- States the House's gratitude for the couple's efforts to raise awareness about the need for foster care parents in Georgia and nationwide.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the honorees.
- Creates no new law, funding, or requirement; it is a symbolic statement rather than a regulatory or budgetary action.

### Who it affects

The resolution directly names Jesse and Emily Cole, the Savannah Bananas organization, Banana Ball, and the nonprofit Bananas Foster. It also references Georgia's foster care community, including the state's foster children and prospective foster parents, though it creates no legal obligations for them.

### Why it matters

Because this is a commendatory resolution, it does not change any Georgia law, create funding, or impose requirements. Its practical effect is limited to formal recognition, though it publicly highlights the state's foster care shortage, noting 9,500 children currently in foster care in Georgia.

### Key provisions

- The whereas clauses describe the founding of the Savannah Bananas in 2016 and the creation of Bananas Foster as a nonprofit supporting foster families.
- The resolution notes Georgia has 9,500 children in foster care and cites national media coverage of the foster care need generated by Banana Ball's platform.
- The resolving clause formally honors and thanks Jesse and Emily Cole, Banana Ball, and Bananas Foster for their foster care awareness work.
- A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the honorees.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-03)
- Sponsors: Ron Stephens, Jesse Petrea, Edna Jackson, Bill Hitchens
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73815

> The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1545.md?full=1