--- title: HR 856. Gonzalez, Hazel Marie; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr856 cite_as: HR 856, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr856 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr856.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr856/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71866 date: 2025-03-28 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/hr855.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr857.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr856.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 856 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-28 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Doreen Carter - Karla Drenner - Karen Bennett - Billy Mitchell text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR856/2025 upstream_id: 2016645 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - senior services - DeKalb County - community recognition - legislative resolution --- # HR 856. Gonzalez, Hazel Marie; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3574 House Resolution 856 By: Representatives Carter of the 93rd, Drenner of the 85th, Bennett of the 94th, and Mitchell of the 88th A RESOLUTION Commending Hazel Marie Gonzalez; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Hazel Marie Gonzalez has dedicated over three decades of her professional life2 to the well-being of older adults across Georgia, and she now s erves as Senior Center3 Manager at the East DeKalb Senior Center under the DeKalb Count y Human Services4 Department; and5 WHEREAS, prior to her current role, she spent 11 years with Sen ior Connections Senior6 Services and held positions as Senior Center Manager at the South DeKalb Senior Center for7 10 years as well as Supervisor over Senior Center Operations for five years; and8 WHEREAS, before her work in DeKalb County, Hazel Marie Gonzalez served for 14 years9 as the Center Manager at New Horizons Senior Center, operated by Senior Citizen Services10 of Fulton County; and11 WHEREAS, in recognition of her outstanding leadership, Hazel Ma rie Gonzalez was12 honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 ADRC Healthy13 Communities Summit; and14 H. R. 856 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3574 WHEREAS, throughout her long and distinguished career, Hazel Ma rie Gonzalez has15 embodied the lesson instilled in her by her parents: "Always respect and honor the elderly16 and you will go far in life"; and17 WHEREAS, in addition to her exemplary career achievements, she is the mother of Princess18 Marie, her beloved daughter, and grandmother to Cari Marie and Clover McKenzie, her two19 wonderful granddaughters; and20 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkab le individual be21 appropriately honored during this special time.22 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that23 the members of this body commend Hazel Marie Gonzalez for her l ifetime of service to24 senior citizens as well as her unwavering dedication to her com munity and extend best25 wishes for continued success.26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized27 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Hazel28 Marie Gonzalez.29 H. R. 856 - 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 formally commends Hazel Marie Gonzalez, a DeKalb County senior center manager, for more than three decades of service to older adults. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It honors Hazel Marie Gonzalez, who has spent over 30 years working on behalf of older adults in Georgia, most recently as Senior Center Manager at the East DeKalb Senior Center under the DeKalb County Human Services Department. The resolution recounts her career history, including years spent with Senior Connections Senior Services, the South DeKalb Senior Center, and New Horizons Senior Center in Fulton County, as well as her 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. The House commends her for her service and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. ### What it does - Formally commends Hazel Marie Gonzalez for more than three decades of work serving senior citizens in Georgia. - Recites her professional history at senior centers in DeKalb and Fulton counties, including specific job titles and years of service. - Notes her 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the ADRC Healthy Communities Summit. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Gonzalez. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as it is a ceremonial honor. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Hazel Marie Gonzalez. It does not impose duties or effects on the public, agencies, or any other groups beyond directing the Clerk of the House to prepare a ceremonial copy for her. ### Why it matters This resolution has no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians; it is a symbolic gesture by the Georgia House of Representatives to publicly recognize one individual's decades of work at senior centers in DeKalb and Fulton counties. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Gonzalez's career, including 11 years with Senior Connections Senior Services and 14 years at New Horizons Senior Center in Fulton County. - The resolving clause has the House of Representatives commend Gonzalez for her lifetime of service to senior citizens. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Gonzalez. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-28) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-28) - Sponsors: Doreen Carter, Karla Drenner, Karen Bennett, Billy Mitchell - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71866 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr856.md?full=1