--- title: HR 189. Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge; Fulton County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr189 cite_as: HR 189, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr189 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr189.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr189/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70007 date: 2025-02-10 status: introduced 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/hr188.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr190.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr189.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 189 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-05 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Eric Bell - Phil Olaleye - Inga Willis - Karen Bennett - Sharon Cooper text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR189/2025 upstream_id: 1958318 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - bridge dedication - Fulton County - civil rights history - Georgia Department of Transportation --- # HR 189. Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge; Fulton County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 189 By: Representatives Bell of the 75th, Olaleye of the 59th, Willis of the 55th, Bennett of the 94th, and Cooper of the 45th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of Dr. Roy Charles Bell and dedicating a bridge in his memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Dr. Roy Charles Bell was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on August 31, 1926, and graduated from Howard University and Howard University Dental School; and WHEREAS, Dr. Bell was one of the first African Americans to practice dentistry in Atlanta and in 1964 he filed a lawsuit that led to the end of segregation of the Georgia Dental Association and, subsequently, the American Dental Association; and WHEREAS, a leader during the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Bell served as a special projects coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be recognized appropriately by dedicating a bridge in his memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the bridge on Interstate 85/Interstate 75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County is dedicated as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. 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 family of Dr. Roy Charles Bell and to the Department of Transportation. ## 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 House resolution would name the Interstate 85/75 bridge over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge, honoring the Atlanta dentist and civil rights figure. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia General Assembly honors Dr. Roy Charles Bell, an Atlanta dentist and civil rights leader, by naming a bridge after him. Dr. Bell was one of the first African Americans to practice dentistry in Atlanta and filed a 1964 lawsuit that ended segregation in the Georgia Dental Association and later the American Dental Association. He also worked as a special projects coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The resolution dedicates the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the bridge's new name. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects The Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain the memorial signage, and the family of Dr. Roy Charles Bell, who receive formal copies of the resolution. Drivers on this stretch of Interstate 85/75 in Fulton County will see the new bridge name. ### Why it matters The change is symbolic and administrative: a physical sign will be added to an existing bridge to publicly commemorate Dr. Bell's contributions to dentistry and civil rights in Georgia. It does not alter traffic rules, funding, or any other area of state law. ### Key provisions - Names the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. - Authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs for the dedication. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-05) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-10) - Sponsors: Eric Bell, Phil Olaleye, Inga Willis, Karen Bennett, Sharon Cooper - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70007 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr189.md?full=1