--- title: HR 385. Rise Augusta; recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award; dedication to literacy advancement; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr385 cite_as: HR 385, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70767 date: 2025-02-24 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/hr384.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr386.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 385 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Mark Newton - Brian Prince - L.C. Myles - Karlton Howard - Chris Erwin text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR385/2025 upstream_id: 1982152 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - literacy - Augusta community organizations - education awards - Richmond County schools --- # HR 385. Rise Augusta; recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award; dedication to literacy advancement; commend ## Text House Resolution 385 By: Representatives Newton of the 127th, Prince of the 132nd, Myles of the 126th, Howard of the 129th, and Erwin of the 32nd A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending Rise Augusta, recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, for its dedication to literacy advancement; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Council on Literacy is dedicated to improving literacy from birth through adulthood and recognizes that communities play a critical role in addressing low literacy rates; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Reads Community Award was established to recognize communities across Georgia that have formed partnerships of two or more organizations, sustained for at least three years, with a strategic plan and measurable results in literacy improvement; and WHEREAS, Rise Augusta has been a pillar of support for Richmond County students since 1997, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to student success; and WHEREAS, in 2020, Rise Augusta transitioned from its origins as Communities In Schools Augusta-Richmond County into an independent, community-driven organization dedicated to addressing the unique educational needs of students in the region; and WHEREAS, Rise Augusta has fostered meaningful partnerships with the Richmond County School System, CSRA Community Foundation, Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts to provide holistic educational support; and WHEREAS, these initiatives have led to measurable improvements in reading proficiency, ensuring greater opportunities for success in education and career development; and WHEREAS, the dedication and hard work of Rise Augusta and its partners serve as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of community-driven solutions to address literacy challenges. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body congratulate and commend the Georgia Reads Community Award recipients, particularly Rise Augusta, for their exemplary service and unwavering commitment to improving literacy in their communities. 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 Rise Augusta. ## 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 honors Rise Augusta, a Richmond County literacy organization, for winning the Georgia Reads Community Award and its work advancing literacy in the region. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes Rise Augusta, a community organization based in Richmond County, for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award. The award, created by the Georgia Council on Literacy, honors communities that build partnerships among two or more organizations, sustain them for at least three years, and show measurable results improving literacy. The resolution recounts that Rise Augusta has supported Richmond County students since 1997, originally as Communities In Schools Augusta-Richmond County before becoming an independent organization in 2020. It highlights partnerships with the Richmond County School System, the CSRA Community Foundation, the Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. The House formally congratulates Rise Augusta and directs the Clerk of the House to send the organization a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends Rise Augusta as a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award. - States the House's recognition of Rise Augusta's history of supporting Richmond County students since 1997. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Rise Augusta. - Does not create any new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial statement by the House. ### Who it affects Rise Augusta and its partner organizations, including the Richmond County School System, the CSRA Community Foundation, the Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, are named and honored by this resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect but gives Rise Augusta official recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives for its literacy work in Richmond County, which may raise the organization's public profile and support its continued community partnerships. ### Key provisions - The preamble explains the purpose and criteria of the Georgia Reads Community Award, including sustained multi-organization partnerships with measurable literacy results. - The resolving clause has the House congratulate and commend Rise Augusta for its service and commitment to improving community literacy. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Rise Augusta. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-24) - Sponsors: Mark Newton, Brian Prince, L.C. Myles, Karlton Howard, Chris Erwin - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70767 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385.md?full=1