--- title: HR 1640. Reheis, Harold Franklin; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1640 cite_as: HR 1640, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1640 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1640.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1640/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73977 date: 2026-03-06 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/hr1639.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1641.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1640.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1640 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-06 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lynn Smith - John Corbett - Vance Smith - Buddy DeLoach - Gerald Greene - Ron Stephens text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1640/2025 upstream_id: 2130742 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - environmental policy - Georgia Department of Natural Resources - legislative resolutions - memorial resolution --- # HR 1640. Reheis, Harold Franklin; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1640 By: Representatives Smith of the 70th, Corbett of the 174th, Smith of the 138th, DeLoach of the 167th, Greene of the 154th, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and legacy of Harold Franklin Reheis; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the members of this body join family and friends throughout Georgia in mourning the passing of Harold Franklin Reheis at the age of 81, former environmental protection division director; an advocate for clean air, land, and water; and pivotal leader in bettering the State of Georgia's environment; and WHEREAS, born in 1944 and graduating from high school at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Mr. Reheis went on to graduate college from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Florida with degrees in civil-sanitary engineering and environmental engineering; and WHEREAS, Mr. Reheis devoted his professional life to protecting Georgia's natural resources over a distinguished career spanning more than 60 years, serving with the United States Geological Survey; with Jordan, Jones and Goulding; as director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; and with Joe Tanner & Associates; and WHEREAS, at the start of Mr. Reheis' career, most of Georgia's rivers were grossly polluted, the air in metropolitan Atlanta had harmful amounts of carbon monoxide and ozone, and garbage was disposed of or burned in open dumps throughout the state; and WHEREAS, Mr. Reheis helped establish and implement programs to address these serious issues, passing the Georgia Hazardous Site Response Act and creating the programs to remediate over 100 hazardous sites in Georgia; and WHEREAS, respected for his leadership in shaping and enforcing environmental laws, Mr. Reheis helped position Georgia as a model for other states, especially through his expertise in water resources management, strengthening both the state's environment and its economy; and WHEREAS, Mr. Reheis was widely acclaimed for his leadership in working with the governor and Georgia General Assembly to maintain "One-Stop" permitting of environmental laws and for diplomatically enforcing them in ways that enabled Georgia to effectively issue permits for companies wanting to move to and grow in the state. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor the life and legacy of Harold Franklin Reheis and recognize his extraordinary contributions to the protection and conservation of Georgia's natural resources. 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 the family of Harold Franklin Reheis. ## 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 Harold Franklin Reheis, the former director of Georgia's Environmental Protection Division, following his death at age 81. ### Plain-language summary This is a commemorative resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes Harold Franklin Reheis, who spent more than 60 years working on environmental protection in Georgia, including as director of the Environmental Protection Division within the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The resolution recounts his education, career history, and role in cleaning up polluted rivers, reducing air pollution in metro Atlanta, and closing open dumps. It credits him with helping pass the Georgia Hazardous Site Response Act and with remediating more than 100 hazardous sites. The House resolves to honor his legacy and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and career of Harold Franklin Reheis, Georgia's former Environmental Protection Division director. - Recites his role in helping pass the Georgia Hazardous Site Response Act and cleaning up over 100 hazardous sites in Georgia. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to Reheis's family. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or regulation. ### Who it affects This resolution directly affects the family of Harold Franklin Reheis, to whom a copy will be sent. It does not impose duties or changes on the public, state agencies, or businesses, since it is a commemorative statement rather than a law. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect on Georgians' daily lives or on state environmental policy. Its significance is symbolic, formally recording the Georgia House's recognition of a public official's decades of work on the state's air, water, and land protection efforts. ### Key provisions - The preamble ('WHEREAS' clauses) describes Reheis's education, 60-year career, and his role in reducing pollution and creating hazardous site remediation programs. - The first resolving clause states the House honors his life and legacy and recognizes his contributions to Georgia's natural resources. - The second resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-06) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-06) - Sponsors: Lynn Smith, John Corbett, Vance Smith, Buddy DeLoach, Gerald Greene, Ron Stephens - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73977 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1640.md?full=1