--- title: HR 218. Cumberbatch, Carleen; 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr218 cite_as: HR 218, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr218 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr218.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr218/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70151 date: 2025-02-10 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/hr217.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr219.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr218.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 218 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-10 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Angela Moore - Doreen Carter text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR218/2025 upstream_id: 1964594 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - senior citizens - DeKalb County - ceremonial resolution - volunteer recognition --- # HR 218. Cumberbatch, Carleen; 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian; commend ## Text House Resolution 218 By: Representatives Moore of the 91st and Carter of the 93rd A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Carleen Cumberbatch, the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Carleen Cumberbatch has been honored as this year's Distinguished Older Georgian for her more than 30 years of advocacy and volunteer service to the senior citizens of DeKalb County and beyond; and WHEREAS, the Distinguished Older Georgian Award was established in 2003 by the Georgia Council on Aging to recognize individuals over the age of 70 who have served as positive role models and made significant contributions to society through their occupational or volunteer efforts; and WHEREAS, since discovering that DeKalb County offered no services to seniors unless they were homebound or indigent, she has worked to address these gaps through volunteerism, community organizing, and program development; and WHEREAS, she is the founder of the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers, which she originally formed to encourage women to exercise together once a week by line dancing as well as to advocate for DeKalb County seniors; and WHEREAS, as an AARP volunteer in the 1990s, she conducted workshops and seminars on Medicare, lectured nursing classes at Georgia Perimeter College, and organized and implemented senior group ministries; and WHEREAS, she has further served AARP as an entitlement speaker; community coordinator; district coordinator for DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale counties; women's specialist for Georgia; and coordinator for Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) for multiple counties and municipalities; and WHEREAS, Carleen Cumberbatch was appointed to the Housing Authority of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners in 2003, where she now serves as board chair; and WHEREAS, she has additionally served as a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission Advisory Committee on Aging since 2001, commissioner for the NAHRO Board from 2010 to 2021, representative for DeKalb County's District 31 in the Georgia Silver Hair Legislature, and more; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this outstanding individual be appropriately honored during this special time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Carleen Cumberbatch, the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian, and extend best wishes for future health and happiness. 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 Carleen Cumberbatch. ## 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 Carleen Cumberbatch of DeKalb County as the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian for decades of senior advocacy and volunteer work. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It honors Carleen Cumberbatch, who was named the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian, an award created in 2003 by the Georgia Council on Aging to recognize people over 70 who have made significant contributions through work or volunteering. The resolution describes her more than 30 years of service to seniors in DeKalb County, including founding the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers, volunteering with AARP on Medicare education and senior programs, serving on the Housing Authority of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners as chair, and holding roles with the Atlanta Regional Commission and other senior advocacy groups. The House formally commends her and directs the Clerk to send her a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally commends Carleen Cumberbatch by name as the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Cumberbatch. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial statement honoring an individual's volunteer record. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Carleen Cumberbatch. It also references the Georgia Council on Aging, AARP, the Housing Authority of DeKalb County, and the Atlanta Regional Commission, organizations she has worked with, but it does not impose duties on them. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect on Georgians generally; it is a symbolic honor. Its significance is limited to publicly recognizing one DeKalb County resident's decades of volunteer work supporting senior citizens. ### Key provisions - Recites Cumberbatch's background, including founding the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers and decades of AARP volunteer roles. - Notes she chairs the Housing Authority of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and has served on the Atlanta Regional Commission Advisory Committee on Aging since 2001. - The resolving clause states the House 'recognize and commend' her and wish her future health and happiness. - Directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-10) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-10) - Sponsors: Angela Moore, Doreen Carter - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70151 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr218.md?full=1