--- title: HR 715. Copeland, Alvin J.; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr715 cite_as: HR 715, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr715 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr715.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr715/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71673 date: 2025-03-25 status: passed 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/hr714.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr716.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr715.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 715 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-25 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Anissa Jones - Mekyah McQueen - Derrick Jackson - Dewey McClain - Tangie Herring text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR715/2025 upstream_id: 2014723 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commemorative resolution - education - high school athletics - Macon Georgia --- # HR 715. Copeland, Alvin J.; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3495 House Resolution 715 By: Representatives Jones of the 143rd, McQueen of the 61st, Jackson of the 68th, McClain of the 109th, and Herring of the 145th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Alvin J. Copeland; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Alvin J. Copeland has dedicated 47 years of service to the field of education2 and athletics, shaping the lives of countless students as a teacher, coach, and mentor; and3 WHEREAS, he began his distinguished career with the Monroe County Board of Education4 at Hubbard High School in Forsyth, Georgia, serving from 1964 t o 1967 as a health and5 physical education teacher, assistant coach for football and basketball, and head coach for6 track and field; and7 WHEREAS, he joined Northeast High School in Macon, Georgia, in 1970, where he taught8 health and physical education until 2000, served as department chairman from 1973 to 2000,9 and worked as athletic director and head coach for cross country, girls basketball, and girls10 and boys track and field until his retirement in 2011; and11 WHEREAS, his teams achieved remarkable success, winning five Ge orgia State12 Championships in girls basketball in 1975, 1981, 1982, 1985, an d 2002, as well as state13 runner-up titles in 1980 and 2001 and third-place finishes in 1974 and 1976; and14 H. R. 715 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3495 WHEREAS, he led his boys track and field teams to state championships in 1975 and 1977,15 a state runner-up title in 1974, and girls track and field teams to six state championships in16 1979, 1982, 1986, 2000, 2001, and 2002; and17 WHEREAS, his teams further secured numerous regional championsh ips, with the girls18 basketball team earning 16 regional titles between 1972 and 2011, the boys track and field19 team securing eight regional titles between 1970 and 1977, and the girls track and field team20 winning 28 regional titles between 1979 and 2009; and21 WHEREAS, he was inducted into multiple prestigious halls of fam e, including the Fort22 Valley State University Hall of Fame in 1981, the Southern Inte rcollegiate Athletic23 Conference Hall of Fame in 2000, the Macon Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the Georgia24 Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame and the Georgia High School Coaches Hall of25 Fame in 2012, the Fort Valley State University Athletics Hall o f Fame in 2015, and the26 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024; and27 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this distingu ished individual be28 appropriately honored during this special time.29 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that30 the members of this body recognize and commend Alvin J. Copeland for his extraordinary31 career in education and athletics, honor his lasting contributi ons to student-athletes across32 Georgia, and extend best wishes for future health and happiness.33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized34 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Alvin35 J. Copeland.36 H. R. 715 - 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 Alvin J. Copeland for 47 years as a teacher, coach, and athletic director in Monroe and Bibb county schools. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Alvin J. Copeland for his long career in education and athletics. It recounts his work starting in 1964 at Hubbard High School in Forsyth, Georgia, and continuing at Northeast High School in Macon from 1970 until his retirement in 2011, where he taught health and physical education and coached multiple sports. The resolution lists his teams' championships, regional titles, and hall of fame inductions as reasons for recognition. It does not change any Georgia law; it simply expresses the House's appreciation and directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to Copeland. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Alvin J. Copeland for 47 years of service in education and athletics in Georgia public schools. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Copeland. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a symbolic honor with no binding legal effect. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Alvin J. Copeland, a retired teacher and coach. It also references the Monroe County Board of Education and Bibb County's Northeast High School, where he worked, though it imposes no obligations on them. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical legal effect on Georgians; it is a formal statement of appreciation. Its significance is symbolic, publicly recognizing one educator's decades-long contribution to Georgia high school sports and student mentorship. ### Key provisions - The 'WHEREAS' clauses recount Copeland's career timeline, from Hubbard High School (1964-1967) to Northeast High School (1970-2011). - Lists specific athletic achievements, including five state basketball championships and multiple track and field titles won by his teams. - Notes his inductions into halls of fame including the Georgia High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. - The resolving clause formally commends Copeland and extends 'best wishes for future health and happiness.' - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to Copeland. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-25) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-25) - Sponsors: Anissa Jones, Mekyah McQueen, Derrick Jackson, Dewey McClain, Tangie Herring - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71673 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr715.md?full=1