Georgia CommonsHR 1757: Harden, Reverend Howard D.; honoring the life and memory; condolences
Last action March 18, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Reverend Howard D. Harden of Hephzibah, a longtime pastor and Army veteran who died on March 12, 2026, and offers condolences to his family.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This is a memorial resolution passed by the Georgia House of Representatives to formally recognize the life of Reverend Howard D. Harden, a pastor at Spring Grove Baptist Church in Hephzibah, Georgia, who died on March 12, 2026. The resolution recounts his education in the Burke County School System, his military service in the United States Army, his marriage to his wife Shirley, his children and grandchildren, and his decades of ministry at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and Spring Grove Baptist Church after his ordination in March 1989. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply states that the House joins in honoring his memory and expresses condolences, and it directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to his family.
What the bill does
- Formally honors the life and memory of Reverend Howard D. Harden on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Expresses the House's official condolences to his family over his passing on March 12, 2026.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Harden's family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial tribute rather than a change to the Georgia Code.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names the family of Reverend Howard D. Harden, including his wife Shirley, his seven children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with distributing a copy of the resolution to the family.
Why it matters
While the resolution has no legal or regulatory effect, it provides an official, public record of the Georgia House's recognition of Reverend Harden's decades of ministry and military service, giving his family a formal document acknowledging his life and community impact.
Key provisions
- The resolved clause states that House members join in honoring Harden's life and memory and express sincere regret at his passing.
- A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Harden's family.
- The preamble (whereas clauses) recounts his biography: education in the Burke County School System, U.S. Army service, marriage, family, ordination in March 1989, and pastorates at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and Spring Grove Baptist Church.
From the bill
“Honoring the life and memory of Reverend Howard D. Harden; and for other purposes.”
“the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Reverend Howard D. Harden and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Karlton Howard (D, HD-129)
- L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)
- Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
- Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
Topics
- memorial resolution
- Georgia House of Representatives
- Hephzibah Georgia
- condolence resolution