---
title: HR 23. Lunar New Year Celebration; commend
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr23
cite_as: HR 23, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr23
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr23.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr23/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69364
date: 2025-01-14
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/hr22.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr24.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 131
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr23.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 23
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-01-14
last_action: House Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Soo Hong
  - Long Tran
  - Marvin Lim
  - Michelle Au
  - Ruwa Romman
  - Samuel Park
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR23/2025
upstream_id: 1919134
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Lunar New Year
  - Asian American communities
  - Georgia House resolutions
  - cultural celebrations
---

# HR 23. Lunar New Year Celebration; commend

## Text

House Resolution 23
By: Representatives Hong of the 103rd, Tran of the 80th, Lim of the 98th, Au of the 50th,
Romman of the 97th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the Lunar New Year Celebration; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, January 29, 2025, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, which is
celebrated in many Asian communities around the world, including the United States and
especially in Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Georgia is home to nearly 500,000 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans of
Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Iu-Mien, Japanese,
Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese descent,
which is approximately 4 percent of Georgia's total population; and
WHEREAS, the Asian and Pacific Islander American community has contributed to the
social, cultural, civic, economic, and academic success of the State of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the Lunar New Year is predominately celebrated by Chinese, Korean, and
Vietnamese residents of Georgia, who account for approximately 200,000 Georgians; and
WHEREAS, this Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, will be universally celebrated by
these communities as a time to renew family ties and to start the new year with a clean slate;
and
WHEREAS, the celebration of the Lunar New Year in communities throughout Georgia
illustrates the state's rich cultural history and commitment to racial, religious, and cultural
diversity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body join Asian and Pacific Islander communities throughout the state
in celebrating January 29, 2025, as the beginning of the Lunar New Year and extend best
wishes for a peaceful and prosperous Lunar New Year to all Georgians.
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 recognizes January 29, 2025 as the beginning of the Lunar New Year and extends good wishes to Asian and Pacific Islander communities across the state.

### Plain-language summary

This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives rather than a change to state law. It notes that Georgia is home to nearly 500,000 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, about 4 percent of the state's population, and that Lunar New Year is especially observed by Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Georgians, who together number around 200,000.
The resolution states that House members join these communities in celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, on January 29, 2025, and wishes all Georgians a peaceful and prosperous new year. It directs the Clerk of the House to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and the press. It does not create any new legal requirements, funding, or penalties.

### What it does

- Formally recognizes January 29, 2025 as the beginning of the Lunar New Year on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- States that House members join Asian and Pacific Islander communities in celebrating the holiday and extends wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and the press.
- Creates no new statutes, funding, penalties, or legal obligations, since it is a commendatory resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia law.

### Who it affects

The resolution speaks to Georgia's Asian and Pacific Islander American communities, including residents of Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Iu-Mien, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese descent, and more broadly all Georgians.

### Why it matters

While the resolution carries no legal force and changes no laws, it is an official public acknowledgment by the Georgia House of Representatives of the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year and the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander Georgians to the state.

### Key provisions

- The preamble ('WHEREAS' clauses) cites population figures, noting nearly 500,000 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans live in Georgia, about 4 percent of the state's population.
- The preamble notes about 200,000 Georgians, mainly of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent, predominantly celebrate the Lunar New Year.
- The resolved clause has the House join in celebrating January 29, 2025 as the start of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake.
- A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and press.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-01-14)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-14)
- Sponsors: Soo Hong, Long Tran, Marvin Lim, Michelle Au, Ruwa Romman, Samuel Park
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69364

> The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr23.md?full=1