--- title: HR 542. Riggs, Michele; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr542 cite_as: HR 542, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr542 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr542.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr542/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71233 date: 2025-03-06 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 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/hr541.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr543.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr542.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 542 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-06 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Park Cannon - Karen Bennett - Michelle Au - Lydia Glaize - Darlene Taylor - Miriam Paris text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR542/2025 upstream_id: 1994200 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commendation resolution - maternal health - Wellstar Health System - retirement honor --- # HR 542. Riggs, Michele; commend ## Text House Resolution 542 By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Bennett of the 94th, Au of the 50th, Glaize of the 67th, Taylor of the 173rd, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Michele Riggs; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Michele Riggs has diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of her time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of her community and state, as evidenced dramatically by her more than two decades of superlative service with Wellstar Health System; and WHEREAS, she began her exemplary career with Wellstar Health System in 2000, serving at the Cobb and Kennestone hospitals as a board-certified lactation consultant before becoming the manager of Maternal Infant Support Services in 2005 and later assuming the role of director of Women's Health Patient Education and Support Services; and WHEREAS, throughout her career, she has led numerous initiatives to improve breastfeeding quality outcomes, including securing Baby Friendly Hospital Designation for Wellstar Kennestone in 2017, establishing a milk depot, implementing human donor milk supplementation, and creating employee pumping stations across the system; and WHEREAS, she has been instrumental in standardizing women's education, including perinatal education classes and support groups, and implementing system-wide patient education initiatives, resulting in a 50 percent expansion of virtual and in-person class offerings in English and Spanish; and WHEREAS, she has further played a key role in the development of multiple programs designed to improve patient and quality outcomes, including the pilot doula program, Wellstar's first pregnancy mobile app, and the I Gave Birth initiative, which promotes maternal health awareness, emphasizes the importance of prenatal and postpartum care, and expedites medical decision-making; and WHEREAS, Michele Riggs has served with honor and distinction as part of Wellstar Health System, and her vision and unyielding commitment to maternal and infant health will be sorely missed upon the occasion of her retirement; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished individual be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Michele Riggs for her efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated career service; congratulate her upon the grand occasion of her retirement; and extend the most sincere best wishes for continued 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 Michele Riggs. ## 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 commends Michele Riggs, a longtime Wellstar Health System maternal and infant health leader, for more than two decades of service upon her retirement. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial honor from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes Michele Riggs, who worked for over 20 years at Wellstar Health System, starting in 2000 as a lactation consultant at Cobb and Kennestone hospitals before becoming manager of Maternal Infant Support Services and later director of Women's Health Patient Education and Support Services. The resolution details her work improving breastfeeding outcomes, securing a Baby Friendly Hospital designation for Wellstar Kennestone in 2017, expanding patient education programs, and helping develop initiatives like a pilot doula program and the I Gave Birth maternal health campaign. The House formally congratulates her on her retirement and directs the Clerk of the House to provide her a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Michele Riggs for her career at Wellstar Health System. - Congratulates her on her retirement and wishes her continued health and happiness. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change since it is a ceremonial honor. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Michele Riggs, a former Wellstar Health System employee. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her. ### 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 formally recognizing Riggs's career and providing her a keepsake copy of the resolution. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Riggs's career history at Wellstar Health System from 2000 through her retirement. - The resolved clause formally commends her career and congratulates her on retirement. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Riggs. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-06) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-06) - Sponsors: Park Cannon, Karen Bennett, Michelle Au, Lydia Glaize, Darlene Taylor, Miriam Paris - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71233 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr542.md?full=1