--- title: HR 992. Evans, Gail Hirschorn; extraordinary contributions to journalism, civic life, and mentorship in Georgia; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr992 cite_as: HR 992, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr992 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr992.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr992/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72121 date: 2025-04-04 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/hr991.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr993.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr992.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 992 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Scott Holcomb - Stacey Evans - Debbie Buckner - Dar'shun Kendrick - Mary Oliver text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR992/2025 upstream_id: 2021315 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commemorative resolution - journalism - women in media - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 992. Evans, Gail Hirschorn; extraordinary contributions to journalism, civic life, and mentorship in Georgia; honor ## Text 25 LC 112 3678 House Resolution 992 By: Representatives Holcomb of the 101st, Evans of the 57th, Buckner of the 137th, Kendrick of the 95th, and Oliver of the 84th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life, leadership, and legacy of Gail Hirschorn Eva ns and recognizing her for1 her extraordinary contributions to journalism, civic life, and mentorship in Georgia; and for2 other purposes.3 WHEREAS, Gail Hirschorn Evans is a distinguished American journalist, author, lecturer,4 and business executive renowned for her pioneering contribution s to media, her advocacy5 for women's empowerment, and her dedicated service to communiti es in Georgia and6 beyond; and7 WHEREAS, Gail began her illustrious career in the early 1960s, serving on various8 congressional staffs and later in the White House during the Ly ndon B. Johnson9 Administration; and10 WHEREAS, she played a pivotal role in the creation of the President's Committee on Equal11 Employment Opportunity and contributed to the development of the monumental 1965 Civil12 Rights Act; and13 WHEREAS, in 1980, Gail joined Cable News Network (CNN) at its inception, and by 1996,14 through her outstanding leadership and work performance, she as cended to the role of15 H. R. 992 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3678 Executive Vice President of the CNN Newsgroup, making her the h ighest-ranking female16 executive at the network; and17 WHEREAS, during her tenure at CNN, Gail was responsible for pro gram and talent18 development across all domestic networks; oversaw national and international talk shows;19 managed the Network Guest Bookings Department, which scheduled approximately 25,00020 guests annually; and helped to create some of the network's most popular programs; and21 WHEREAS, Gail is an accomplished author who has penned influential works focusing on22 women's success in the workplace; and23 WHEREAS, beyond her professional accomplishments, Gail has been deeply involved in24 numerous charitable and educational initiatives, including serv ice as chairperson of the25 Georgia Endowment for the Humanities and on the Commission on White House Fellows;26 and27 WHEREAS, Gail has contributed to higher education in Georgia as a visiting professor at28 the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Management, teaching courses on gender,29 race, and ethnicity in organizational behavior, and she has als o served on the Board of30 Visitors at the Georgia State University School of Law and the Kennesaw State University31 Foundation; and32 WHEREAS, her philanthropic efforts include active participation on the boards of the33 Society for Women's Health Research, the Radio Television News Directors Foundation, the34 Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, and the Atlanta Girls School, and she has also served as35 a member of the Committee of 200, The International Women's Forum, and the Council on36 Foreign Relations; and37 H. R. 992 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3678 WHEREAS, Gail has willingly given her time to mentor countless individuals and has38 encouraged many to pursue lives of public service.39 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that40 the members of this body honor Gail Hirschorn Evans for her remarkable achievements and41 contributions to society, commend her for her dedication to uplifting women and advancing42 equality, and express profound gratitude for her service to the State of Georgia and beyond.43 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized44 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Gail45 Hirschorn Evans.46 H. R. 992 - 3 - ## 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 honors Gail Hirschorn Evans, a journalist and former CNN executive, for her career achievements and civic contributions in Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes Gail Hirschorn Evans, describing her career from congressional and White House staff work in the 1960s through her rise to Executive Vice President of the CNN Newsgroup in 1996, and her civic and educational involvement in Georgia. The resolution formally states that House members honor her achievements, commend her work on behalf of women and equality, and express gratitude for her service. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to Evans, which is the resolution's only concrete action. ### What it does - Formally honors Gail Hirschorn Evans on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives for her career in journalism and media. - Commends her for her advocacy for women's empowerment and equality. - Recognizes her civic, educational, and philanthropic involvement in Georgia, including at Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and Kennesaw State University. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Evans. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Gail Hirschorn Evans. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is directed to prepare and distribute a copy of the document to her. ### Why it matters This is a symbolic honor rather than a change to Georgia law or policy. Its practical effect is limited to the House formally recognizing an individual's career and civic contributions and providing her with an official copy of that recognition. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Evans's career, including White House and congressional staff work in the 1960s and her rise to Executive Vice President of the CNN Newsgroup by 1996. - The resolving clause states that House members honor Evans, commend her work on equality and women's advancement, and express gratitude for her service. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to Evans. - The resolution contains no funding, penalties, or changes to Georgia statutes, as is typical for a commendatory resolution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Scott Holcomb, Stacey Evans, Debbie Buckner, Dar'shun Kendrick, Mary Oliver - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72121 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr992.md?full=1