--- title: HR 1739. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day; March 16, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1739 cite_as: HR 1739, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1739 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1739.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1739/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74156 date: 2026-03-16 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/hr1738.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1740.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1739.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1739 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-16 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Viola Davis - Dar'shun Kendrick - Carolyn Hugley - Edna Jackson - Kim Schofield - Sandra Scott text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1739/2025 upstream_id: 2134517 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority - Georgia House resolutions - ceremonial recognition - sororities --- # HR 1739. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day; March 16, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1739 By: Representatives Davis of the 87th, Kendrick of the 95th, Hugley of the 141st, Jackson of the 165th, Schofield of the 63rd, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing March 16, 2026, as the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. was organized on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, by seven young educators: Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian Irene White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, Bessie Mae Downey Rhoades Martin, and Cubena McClure; and WHEREAS, the group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to the Alpha chapter at Butler University, becoming the only sorority in the National Pan-Hellenic Council to not have been founded at Howard University; and WHEREAS, since its inception, the dedicated women of Sigma Gamma Rho have earned and maintained an exemplary reputation throughout the State of Georgia for leading positive change to help uplift the community through sisterhood, leadership, and service; and WHEREAS, this distinguished organization upholds its mission statement of "Greater Service, Greater Progress" by providing positive and proactive community outreach that promotes the greater good in education, service, and leadership development; and WHEREAS, across its more than 500 international chapters, Sigma Gamma Rho has welcomed more than 100,000 collegiate and professional women from every profession; and WHEREAS, Sigma Gamma Rho offers its members opportunities to develop their unique talents through leadership training and involvement in sorority activities that create personal and professional bonds which last a lifetime; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this exceptional sorority be appropriately honored during this special time for its enduring commitment to the highest ideals of sisterhood, respect, honesty, accountability, integrity, excellence, and communication. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize March 16, 2026, as the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill. 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 Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. ## 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 recognizes March 16, 2026, as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill, honoring the sorority's history and community service in the state. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes March 16, 2026, as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill, marking a day of honor for the sorority at the Georgia Capitol. The resolution recounts the sorority's founding in 1922 in Indianapolis by seven educators and its growth into an international organization with more than 500 chapters and over 100,000 members. It credits the group with community service, leadership development, and sisterhood in Georgia. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy for distribution to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. ### What it does - Formally designates March 16, 2026, as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill in the Georgia House of Representatives. - Recites the history and mission of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. as the basis for the honor. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the sorority. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., its members, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with preparing a copy of the resolution for the organization. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic weight rather than legal effect. It gives Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. formal recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives, which can be used for ceremonial purposes, but it does not create any new rights, funding, or obligations under Georgia law. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes March 16, 2026, as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Day on the Hill. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to the sorority. - The whereas clauses describe the sorority's 1922 founding, its 1929 incorporation as a national collegiate sorority, and its size and mission but carry no legal force. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-16) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-16) - Sponsors: Viola Davis, Dar'shun Kendrick, Carolyn Hugley, Edna Jackson, Kim Schofield, Sandra Scott - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74156 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1739.md?full=1