Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 899: Stevens, Joyce Carter; commend
Last action March 31, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution formally commends Joyce Carter Stevens, a longtime Republican Party leader and businesswoman from Adel, Georgia, for her decades of public service and political organizing.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It honors Joyce Carter Stevens, who was raised in Adel, Georgia, and worked as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Del-Cook Lumber Company from 1964 to 1981 before becoming heavily involved in Republican Party politics. The resolution recounts her career, including serving as Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party from 1981 to 1983, running as the first female candidate on a general election ballot in Georgia for the Public Service Commission in 1984, and founding the Stevens Group with her husband in 1995. The House resolves to recognize and commend her for her public service and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and commends Joyce Carter Stevens for her public service to the State of Georgia.
- Recounts her career history, including her role as Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party from 1981 to 1983.
- Notes her 1984 run for the Public Service Commission as the first female candidate on a Georgia general election ballot.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her.
Who it affects
This resolution directly names and honors one individual, Joyce Carter Stevens. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is directed to prepare a copy for her.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal force or funding; it is a symbolic honor. Its practical effect is limited to the House officially recording its recognition of Stevens's career and directing the Clerk to give her a copy of the document.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses describe Stevens's career, from her work at Del-Cook Lumber Company to founding the Stevens Group in 1995.
- The resolving clause states the House recognizes and commends her for public service to Georgia.
- The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to her.
From the bill
“she made history as the first female candidate on the general election ballot in Georgia when she ran for a position on the Public Service Commission in 1984”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)
- Bruce Williamson (R, HD-112)
- Jon Burns (R, HD-159)
- Sharon Cooper (R, HD-45)
- Katie Dempsey (R, HD-13)
Topics
- commendation resolution
- Georgia political history
- Georgia House of Representatives