--- title: HR 1940. Buy Local Savannah; commitment to strengthening independent businesses and preserving the unique character and economic vitality of Savannah and Chatham County; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1940 cite_as: HR 1940, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1940 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1940.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1940/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74488 date: 2026-03-25 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/hr1939.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1941.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1940.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1940 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-25 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Carl Gilliard - Ron Stephens - Jesse Petrea - Bill Hitchens text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1940/2025 upstream_id: 2138482 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - small businesses - Savannah - Chatham County - local economy - legislative commendation --- # HR 1940. Buy Local Savannah; commitment to strengthening independent businesses and preserving the unique character and economic vitality of Savannah and Chatham County; commend ## Text House Resolution 1940 By: Representatives Gilliard of the 162nd, Stephens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, and Hitchens of the 161st A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Buy Local Savannah for its enduring commitment to strengthening independent businesses and preserving the unique character and economic vitality of Savannah and Chatham County; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the City of Savannah, Georgia, known for its historic squares, vibrant waterfront, thriving hospitality industry, and entrepreneurial spirit, is strengthened by the success of its independent, locally owned businesses; and WHEREAS, Savannah's small businesses contribute significantly to the city's tourism economy, neighborhood vitality, workforce development, and overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike; and WHEREAS, Buy Local Savannah was founded in 1999 by a small group of dedicated business leaders who recognized the importance of organizing to support, advocate for, and protect Chatham County's independent merchants, shop owners, restaurateurs, and service providers; and WHEREAS, Buy Local Savannah's mission is to support and empower independent, locally owned and operated businesses in Chatham County, Georgia; and WHEREAS, Buy Local Savannah is committed to preventing the displacement of local businesses by national and global entities and to providing opportunities for local businesses to connect, grow, and thrive; and WHEREAS, Buy Local believes that independent businesses make Chatham County unique and attractive to both residents and visitors and that when independent businesses support and advocate for one another, the community becomes stronger and more prosperous; and WHEREAS, when residents and visitors choose to buy local in Savannah– whether along Broughton Street, within neighborhood commercial corridors, in locally owned restaurants, retail shops, and professional service firms, or throughout Chatham County– they support their neighbors, from solo entrepreneurs building innovative start-ups to established local companies employing dozens of Chatham County residents; and WHEREAS, when these locally owned Savannah businesses in turn conduct business with other local enterprises, revenues and expenditures remain within the local economy, directly strengthening Savannah's workforce, civic institutions, charitable organizations, and community life both economically and socially; and WHEREAS, buying local is an act of advocacy that sustains Savannah's distinct culture, preserves opportunity for entrepreneurs, and ensures that the economic benefits of growth remain rooted within the community; and WHEREAS, the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes that organizations such as Buy Local Savannah play a vital role in safeguarding small businesses, protecting local character, and advancing long-term economic prosperity for the City of Savannah and the State of Georgia. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Buy Local Savannah for its leadership, advocacy, and unwavering dedication to independent businesses in Savannah and Chatham County and extend their sincere appreciation for its continued service since its founding in 1999. 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 Buy Local Savannah. ## 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 formally commends Buy Local Savannah, a Chatham County organization founded in 1999, for supporting independent local businesses in Savannah. ### Plain-language summary This is a commemorative resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a law that changes anyone's rights or duties. It recognizes Buy Local Savannah, an organization founded in 1999 to support independent, locally owned businesses in Chatham County, for its work encouraging residents and visitors to patronize local shops, restaurants, and service providers instead of national chains. The resolution states that the House commends the organization for its leadership and advocacy since its founding and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Buy Local Savannah. It does not create any new programs, funding, or legal requirements; it is purely a statement of recognition and appreciation. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Buy Local Savannah for its work supporting independent businesses in Chatham County since 1999. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the organization. - Creates no new laws, funding, requirements, or penalties; it is a ceremonial statement of appreciation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Buy Local Savannah and, by extension, the independent businesses in Savannah and Chatham County that the organization supports, such as local shops, restaurants, and service providers. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal effect on businesses, residents, or government operations. Its practical significance is symbolic: it puts the Georgia House of Representatives on record praising Buy Local Savannah's role in supporting Chatham County's independent business community. ### Key provisions - The resolution's preamble (the 'whereas' clauses) describes Buy Local Savannah's founding in 1999 and its mission to support independent, locally owned businesses in Chatham County. - The resolved clause formally commends Buy Local Savannah for its leadership and dedication to independent businesses since 1999. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to the organization. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-25) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-25) - Sponsors: Carl Gilliard, Ron Stephens, Jesse Petrea, Bill Hitchens - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74488 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1940.md?full=1