--- title: HR 1568. Arnold, Mercedes A.; receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1568 cite_as: HR 1568, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1568 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1568.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1568/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73842 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/hr1567.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1569.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1568.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1568 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: - Edna Jackson text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1568/2025 upstream_id: 2128672 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civic recognition - women's history month - Savannah - legislative honors --- # HR 1568. Arnold, Mercedes A.; receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award; commend ## Text House Resolution 1568 By: Representative Jackson of the 165th A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending Mercedes A. Arnold for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, in 1999, Representative Nikki T. Randall became the first African American female elected to the General Assembly from middle Georgia, and over her 17 years of service as a legislator, she held numerous leadership positions, including chair of the Georgia Women's Legislative Caucus; and WHEREAS, every year during Women's History Month, the Georgia Women's Legislative Caucus recognizes outstanding women in Georgia who exemplify the leadership and inspiration embodied by Representative Randall; and WHEREAS, Mercedes A. Arnold's dedication to service extends across local, national, and international boundaries; and WHEREAS, as the leader of an economic boycott march through downtown Savannah and the organizer of impactful voter registration drives, Mercedes' voice and vision have empowered communities and strengthened democratic participation; and WHEREAS, as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica, and through her extensive community work in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 1980s AIDS pandemic, Mercedes has offered compassionate support to patients and families facing fear and uncertainty; and WHEREAS, as a Field Director for the NAACP, she stood at the forefront of advocacy, championing civil rights and expanding opportunities for those too often unheard; and WHEREAS, she serves in leadership positions with the Savannah Historic Review, the Savannah Economic Opportunity Authority, and the Georgia State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights; and WHEREAS, through decades of principled leadership and selfless service, Mercedes A. Arnold has made a lasting difference in her community and beyond; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this extraordinary servant leader be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body congratulate and commend Mercedes A. Arnold for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award and extend best wishes for her continued success. 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 Mercedes A. Arnold. ## 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 formally congratulates Mercedes A. Arnold of Savannah for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award, honoring her decades of civic and community service. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Mercedes A. Arnold, a Savannah community leader, for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award, given annually by the Georgia Women's Legislative Caucus during Women's History Month. The resolution recounts her service history, including work as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, community support during the 1980s AIDS pandemic in Atlanta, service as an NAACP Field Director, and leadership roles with the Savannah Historic Review, the Savannah Economic Opportunity Authority, and the Georgia State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. It directs the Clerk of the House to provide her with an official copy of the resolution. It has no regulatory effect and creates no new law. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends Mercedes A. Arnold for receiving the 2026 Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Mercedes A. Arnold. - Recites her record of civic service, including Peace Corps work, AIDS-era community support, NAACP advocacy, and local board leadership in Savannah. - Extends the House's best wishes for her continued success. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Mercedes A. Arnold. It does not create obligations for the public, government agencies, or any other Georgians; its only administrative effect is directing the House Clerk to distribute a copy to her. ### Why it matters This is a ceremonial resolution with no legal or regulatory effect. It matters mainly as a formal, public acknowledgment by the Georgia House of Representatives of one Savannah resident's community service and civic leadership. ### Key provisions - The resolution's preamble (whereas clauses) describes Arnold's service history, including Peace Corps work in Jamaica, AIDS-era community support in Atlanta, and her role as an NAACP Field Director. - The first resolving clause formally congratulates and commends Arnold for receiving the 2026 award and wishes her continued success. - The second resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Arnold. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-03) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Edna Jackson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73842 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1568.md?full=1