--- title: HR 1878. Forensic Nurses Week; November 2 through 8, 2026; important role Georgia's forensic nurses play in supporting survivors of violence and making our community safer from violence; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1878 cite_as: HR 1878, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1878 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1878.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1878/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74399 date: 2026-03-23 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/hr1877.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1879.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1878.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1878 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-23 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Karen Lupton - Scott Holcomb text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1878/2025 upstream_id: 2137375 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - forensic nursing - violence survivors - health care recognition - legislative resolutions --- # HR 1878. Forensic Nurses Week; November 2 through 8, 2026; important role Georgia's forensic nurses play in supporting survivors of violence and making our community safer from violence; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1878 By: Representatives Lupton of the 83rd and Holcomb of the 101st A RESOLUTION Recognizing the important role Georgia's forensic nurses play in supporting survivors of violence and making our community safer from violence as well as declaring November 2 through 8, 2026, Forensic Nurses Week; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, forensic nurses empower patients who are victims of violence to seek healing and justice as they choose; and WHEREAS, violence is a persistent health care issue, and forensic nurses are the bridge between the medical and legal needs of patients; and WHEREAS, patients who experience violence sustain physical injuries, as well as acute and chronic physical and mental health conditions, including sexually transmitted infections, HIV, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation; and WHEREAS, the health consequences of violence cost hospitals in the United States approximately $18.2 billion annually; and WHEREAS, forensic nurses are essential to Georgia's health care because they provide trauma-informed nursing care that focuses on patient populations affected by violence and trauma, including victims and perpetrators of violent crimes, across the lifespan and in diverse practice settings; and WHEREAS, forensic nursing has been formally recognized as a specialty practice area since 1995; and WHEREAS, forensic nurses work independently, yet collaboratively, within health care and multidisciplinary community systems ensuring the provision of care extends from the clinical setting to the courtroom; and WHEREAS, forensic nursing encompasses caring for diverse patient populations, including patients who have experienced sexual assault or abuse, intimate or interpersonal violence, elder and child maltreatment, human trafficking and accidental as well as nonaccidental trauma, in roles that include sexual assault nurse examiner, forensic nurse examiner, death investigator, correctional nurse, forensic psychiatric nurse, legal nurse consultant, forensic geriatric specialist, nurse attorney, forensic nursing educators, and forensic clinical nurse specialists; and WHEREAS, forensic nurses foster an understanding of the health consequences, effective interventions, and prevention of violence and trauma in individuals, families, and communities; and WHEREAS, forensic nurses work in partnership with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including Tribal organizations, advocacy, law enforcement, military branches, and legal counsel. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body acknowledge that forensic nursing is more relevant now than ever before, as this specialty practice evolves to address the gaps in health care related to effective violence intervention, reduction of long-term health consequences, and prevention; honor forensic nurses for their commitment to providing evidence-based, compassionate, trauma-informed care encompassing the entire scope of nursing practice; reaffirm their commitment to working alongside forensic nurses to further their contributions to improve health outcomes for patients experiencing violence; and declare November 2 through 8, 2026, Forensic Nurses Week. 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 the public and the press. ## 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 designates November 2 through 8, 2026, as Forensic Nurses Week, honoring the role forensic nurses play in caring for survivors of violence and trauma. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes the work of forensic nurses, who treat patients affected by violence and trauma, including survivors of sexual assault, abuse, elder and child maltreatment, and human trafficking. It describes how these nurses bridge medical care and the legal system, working with law enforcement, advocates, and courts. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally declares November 2 through 8, 2026, as Forensic Nurses Week and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available to the public and the press. It is a statement of recognition rather than a binding rule. ### What it does - Declares November 2 through 8, 2026, as Forensic Nurses Week in Georgia. - Formally acknowledges the role forensic nurses play in caring for survivors of violence and trauma. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. - Does not create any new law, funding, requirement, or penalty. ### Who it affects The resolution names forensic nurses and the patients they treat, including survivors of sexual assault, elder and child maltreatment, and human trafficking. It also references hospitals, law enforcement, advocacy groups, and legal counsel who work alongside forensic nurses. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or funding changes, it publicly recognizes forensic nurses' work connecting medical care to the justice system for violence survivors, which may raise awareness of their role in Georgia's health care and legal systems. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe forensic nurses' training, roles (such as sexual assault nurse examiner and forensic psychiatric nurse), and the health and financial impact of violence. - The resolving clause declares November 2 through 8, 2026, Forensic Nurses Week in Georgia. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-23) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-23) - Sponsors: Karen Lupton, Scott Holcomb - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74399 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1878.md?full=1