--- title: HR 561. Williams, Congresswoman Nikema; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr561 cite_as: HR 561, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr561 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr561.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr561/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71280 date: 2025-03-13 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hr560.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr562.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr561.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 561 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-10 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Teddy Reese text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR561/2025 upstream_id: 1996838 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commendation resolution - Nikema Williams - voting rights - Georgia General Assembly honors --- # HR 561. Williams, Congresswoman Nikema; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3341 House Resolution 561 By: Representative Reese of the 140th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Congresswoman Nikema Williams; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Congresswoman Nikema Williams has been a tireless advo cate for social2 justice, women, and families throughout her distinguished caree r, consistently working to3 ensure economic equity, voting rights, healthcare access, and r eproductive justice for all4 communities; and5 WHEREAS, as a member of Congress, she carries forward the legac y of her mentor and6 predecessor, Congressman John Lewis, by actively fighting again st voter suppression and7 advocating for free and fair access to the ballot box; and8 WHEREAS, she was elected Freshman Class President for the 117th Congress, where she9 played a pivotal role in organizing and advancing the interests of her freshman democratic10 colleagues to fulfill their oath to serve the people; and11 WHEREAS, she is an engaged member of numerous caucuses, including the Congressional12 Black Caucus, Democratic Women's Caucus, Congressional Progress ive Caucus, Voting13 Rights Caucus, LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, and the HBCU Caucus; and14 H. R. 561 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3341 WHEREAS, before her congressional service, she was a dedicated member of the Georgia15 State Senate, where she fearlessly stood against voter suppression, and during the aftermath16 of the 2018 Georgia elections, she was arrested at the Georgia State Capitol while peacefully17 protesting to demand that every vote be counted; and18 WHEREAS, her extensive advocacy and legislative efforts have ea rned her numerous19 accolades, including recognition as one of Georgia Trend magazine's 100 Most Influential20 Georgians as well as honors such as Forty Under Forty, Power 30 Under 30, Outstanding21 Atlanta, and Who's Who in Black Atlanta; and22 WHEREAS, she has remained steadfast in her mission to elevate m arginalized voices,23 ensuring that all people, regardless of their background, economic status, or ZIP code, have24 equitable opportunities and representation in government; and25 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this26 remarkable and distinguished individual be appropriately recognized.27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that28 the members of this body recognize and commend Congresswoman Nikema Williams for her29 efficient, effective, and dedicated public service as well as h er continued advocacy in the30 fight for justice and equality and extend best wishes for her continued success.31 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized32 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution ava ilable for distribution to33 Congresswoman Nikema Williams.34 H. R. 561 - 2 - ## 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 U.S. Congresswoman Nikema Williams for her career in public service and advocacy on voting rights, healthcare, and economic equity. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a bill that changes state law. It recognizes and commends U.S. Congresswoman Nikema Williams for her career, citing her work on social justice, women's and family issues, economic equity, voting rights, healthcare access, and reproductive justice. The resolution recounts her background, including her time in the Georgia State Senate, her arrest while protesting vote counting after the 2018 Georgia elections, her role as Freshman Class President in the 117th Congress, her membership in several congressional caucuses, and various honors she has received. It closes by directing the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to Congresswoman Williams. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Congresswoman Nikema Williams for her public service and advocacy work. - Recites her legislative and political history, including service in the Georgia State Senate and Congress. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Williams. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or appropriate any funding. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Congresswoman Nikema Williams. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians, businesses, or government agencies since it is a ceremonial statement rather than a law. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendation rather than a law, it does not change any rights, duties, or funding for Georgians. Its practical effect is limited to an official statement of praise recorded by the House of Representatives and given to Williams. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Williams's advocacy on voting rights, healthcare, economic equity, and reproductive justice. - The whereas clauses note her arrest at the Georgia State Capitol during a 2018 post-election protest over vote counting. - The resolving clause formally commends Williams for her public service and wishes her continued success. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Williams. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-10) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-13) - Sponsors: Teddy Reese - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71280 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr561.md?full=1