--- title: HR 309. Rodgers, Rilyn; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr309 cite_as: HR 309, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70534 date: 2025-02-19 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/hr308.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr310.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 309 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-19 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Leesa Hagan - Lauren McDonald - Carter Barrett - Derrick McCollum text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR309/2025 upstream_id: 1976350 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Hurricane Helene relief - community service recognition - Wheeler County - Georgia House resolutions --- # HR 309. Rodgers, Rilyn; commend ## Text House Resolution 309 By: Representatives Hagan of the 156th, McDonald III of the 26th, Barrett of the 24th, and McCollum of the 30th A RESOLUTION Honoring and commending Rilyn Rodgers; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Rilyn Rodgers, a standout 16-year-old student at Vidalia Heritage Academy and dedicated citizen of Wheeler County, Georgia, has demonstrated exceptional character and commitment to her community; and WHEREAS, Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction that affected many residents of our region, requiring immediate and coordinated response efforts to provide relief, rescue, and recovery; and WHEREAS, in the wake of Hurricane Helene, Rilyn selflessly volunteered her time and efforts to aid those in need, showcasing her dedication to making a positive impact in times of adversity; and WHEREAS, Rilyn actively participated in efforts to assist with disaster relief, including organizing food and supply points of distribution, creating and managing a social media platform to provide timely information to residents, helping in the cleanup and recovery process, and offering support to displaced families; and WHEREAS, Rilyn volunteered countless hours, collaborating with local and state agencies, emergency responders, and community members as well as contributing to relief efforts that helped restore hope and stability to those impacted by the disaster; and WHEREAS, Rilyn's actions exemplify the spirit of resilience, compassion, civic responsibility and dedication to serving others in times of need, inspiring those around her to act with kindness and urgency in times of crisis; and WHEREAS, through her actions, Rilyn has proven herself to be a responsible and caring individual who seeks to improve the lives of those around her, demonstrating leadership and empathy well beyond her years. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor and commend Rilyn Rodgers for her exemplary volunteer service, unwavering dedication, and invaluable contributions following Hurricane Helene; her tireless efforts reflect the true spirit of community and selflessness, serving as an inspiration and model to all. 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 Rilyn Rodgers. ## 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 Rilyn Rodgers, a 16-year-old Wheeler County student, for her volunteer work aiding Hurricane Helene disaster relief efforts. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Rilyn Rodgers, a 16-year-old student at Vidalia Heritage Academy in Wheeler County, for her volunteer efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the region. The resolution describes how Rodgers organized food and supply distribution points, ran a social media page to keep residents informed, helped with cleanup and recovery, and supported displaced families. It states that the House commends her for this service and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. The resolution does not change any Georgia law; it is a formal statement of recognition. ### What it does - Formally honors and commends Rilyn Rodgers for her volunteer work following Hurricane Helene. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Rodgers. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial statement by the House of Representatives. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Rilyn Rodgers, a Wheeler County student, and references the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must prepare a copy for her. It has no broader legal effect on other Georgians. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial weight, it gives official public recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives to a young volunteer's disaster relief work, which can matter to her, her community, and local disaster recovery morale. ### Key provisions - The resolved clause states the House of Representatives honors and commends Rodgers for her volunteer service after Hurricane Helene. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Rodgers. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-19) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-19) - Sponsors: Leesa Hagan, Lauren McDonald, Carter Barrett, Derrick McCollum - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70534 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr309.md?full=1