Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 509: Cotten, Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L.; commend
Last action March 4, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution formally honors Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L. Cotten for her 21 years of Army service and decades of community leadership in the Jonesboro area.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution is a ceremonial honor passed by the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L. Cotten, who served in the United States Army for 21 years before retiring as a Non-Commissioned Officer in 2001. The resolution details her community involvement, including her leadership roles in the National Association of Black Military Women, the military sorority and auxiliary organizations she founded, her membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, her work at Shiloh Baptist Church in Jonesboro, and her career as a real estate professional and instructor. The House directs its Clerk to prepare an official copy of the resolution for her.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and commends Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L. Cotten for her military service and community work.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a purely ceremonial statement of the House.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names and honors Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L. Cotten. It has no legal effect on other Georgians, agencies, or businesses.
Why it matters
This is a symbolic honor rather than a policy change, so it does not alter anyone's rights, obligations, or funding. Its practical effect is limited to publicly recognizing one veteran's military and community service.
Key provisions
- The 'whereas' clauses recount her 21 years of Army service and retirement in 2001 as a Non-Commissioned Officer.
- Additional clauses describe her leadership roles in the National Association of Black Military Women and the Omicron Nu Xi Military Sorority and Auxiliaries she founded.
- The resolved clause formally commends her for her service to Georgia and the nation and extends wishes for her health and happiness.
- The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available to her.
From the bill
“the members of this body recognize and commend Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Judith L. Cotten for her effective, unselfish, and dedicated public service to the State of Georgia and this nation”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Sandra Scott (D, HD-76)
- Viola Davis (D, HD-87)
- Kim Schofield (D, HD-63)
- Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
Topics
- veterans
- military service
- community recognition
- Jonesboro Georgia