--- title: HR 554. Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign; 70th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr554 cite_as: HR 554, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr554 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr554.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr554/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71248 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/hr553.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr555.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr554.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 554 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: - Debbie Buckner - Darlene Taylor - Mark Newton - Brian Prince - Sharon Cooper - Karlton Howard text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR554/2025 upstream_id: 1994332 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - public health history - polio vaccine - Georgia history - commemorative resolution --- # HR 554. Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign; 70th anniversary; recognize ## Text House Resolution 554 By: Representatives Buckner of the 137th, Taylor of the 173rd, Newton of the 127th, Prince of the 132nd, Cooper of the 45th, and others A RESOLUTION Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, seventy years ago, in 1954, the United States embarked on a historic public health initiative, the Polio Vaccination Campaign, marking the beginning of the end for a disease that had long afflicted children and adults, leaving thousands paralyzed or dead each year; and WHEREAS, polio is a highly infectious disease which has existed for thousands of years, and primarily affects children under the age of five, causing paralysis and death, and for which there is no known cure; and WHEREAS, through the groundbreaking work of many physicians and scientists, the development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine offered hope to millions of families across Georgia, the United States, and the world; and WHEREAS, Georgia played an important role in the campaign to stop polio, as President Franklin Roosevelt, who called Georgia "my second home," was himself a victim of polio and sought therapies from the Warm Springs Institute in the 1930s and 1940s, and brought additional public attention to this dreaded disease; and WHEREAS, in the 1950s, the Talmage Memorial Hospital, now Medical College of Georgia Hospital, served as a central repository for the entire Southeast of iron lungs, the life-saving device that enabled paralyzed victims of polio to breathe; and WHEREAS, on April 12, 1955, the largest mass vaccination effort in United States history began, which ultimately led to the eradication of polio in the United States; and WHEREAS, President Dwight Eisenhower, whose administration played a key role in funding polio research and ensuring widespread distribution of the vaccine, stated "I think that this is one of the greatest events of our time"; and WHEREAS, this anniversary serves as a reminder of the power of science, medicine, and collective action in overcoming such a terrible and devastating disease, which affects children and stands as one of the greatest public health triumphs of the 20th century. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commemorate the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign and acknowledge and salute the tremendous accomplishments of all the scientists, physicians, public health personnel, parents, and others -many Georgians among them- who made this remarkable achievement possible. 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 commemorates the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign and honors the scientists, physicians, and Georgians involved in fighting polio. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any law. It marks 70 years since the 1954 to 1955 nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign in the United States, which began the eradication of polio, a disease that once caused widespread paralysis and death, mainly in young children. The resolution recounts Georgia's connections to that history, including President Franklin Roosevelt's time seeking treatment at the Warm Springs Institute and the Talmage Memorial Hospital in Augusta (now Medical College of Georgia Hospital) serving as a regional hub for iron lung devices. The House of Representatives formally commemorates the anniversary and salutes the scientists, physicians, public health workers, and parents who contributed to eradicating polio. It directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Formally commemorates the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign that began in 1954 and 1955. - Recognizes scientists, physicians, public health personnel, parents, and Georgians who contributed to the campaign against polio. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press. - Creates no new law, funding, or enforceable requirement, as it is a commemorative resolution rather than a bill. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects the historical record and public recognition; it does not impose duties on any Georgia agency, business, or individual beyond directing the Clerk of the House to distribute copies to the public and press. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial effect, it publicly memorializes a major public health achievement, the eradication of polio in the United States, and highlights Georgia's historical role through Warm Springs and Augusta's Talmage Memorial Hospital. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the history of polio and the 1954 to 1955 nationwide vaccination campaign that led to its eradication in the United States. - The resolution highlights Georgia's role, including President Franklin Roosevelt's treatment at the Warm Springs Institute and Talmage Memorial Hospital's role storing iron lungs. - The resolved clause has the House of Representatives commemorate the anniversary and salute those who contributed to the achievement. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-06) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-06) - Sponsors: Debbie Buckner, Darlene Taylor, Mark Newton, Brian Prince, Sharon Cooper, Karlton Howard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71248 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr554.md?full=1