---
title: HR 997. Joint session; message from the Governor
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr997
cite_as: HR 997, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72126
date: 2026-01-12
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr998.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 224
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 997
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-01-12
last_action: Senate Transmitted House
sponsors:
  - Chuck Efstration
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR997/2025
upstream_id: 2071967
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - state government
  - Georgia legislature
  - Governor's address
  - joint session
---

# HR 997. Joint session; message from the Governor

## Text

House Resolution 997
By: Representative Efstration of the 104th
A RESOLUTION
Calling a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the purpose of
hearing a message from the Governor; inviting the Justices of the Supreme Court and the
Judges of the Court of Appeals to be present at the joint session; and for other purposes.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that His Excellency,
Governor Brian Kemp, is hereby invited to address a joint session of the House of
Representatives and the Senate at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, January 15, 2026, in the hall of the
House of Representatives.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a joint session of the House of Representatives and the
Senate be held in the hall of the House of Representatives at 10:45 A.M. on the aforesaid
date for the purpose of hearing an address from His Excellency, the Governor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a committee of fourteen, seven from the House to be
named by the Speaker and seven from the Senate to be named by the President of the Senate,
be appointed to escort His Excellency, the Governor, to the hall of the House of
Representatives.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Justices of the Supreme Court and the Judges of the
Court of Appeals are hereby extended an invitation to be present at the joint session.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is hereby
instructed to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governor, to each Justice of the
Supreme Court, and to each Judge of the Court of Appeals.

## 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 House resolution schedules a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate on January 15, 2026, so Governor Brian Kemp can deliver an address to lawmakers.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution sets up a formal joint meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate to hear a speech from Governor Brian Kemp. It fixes the time and place: 10:45 A.M. on January 15, 2026, in the House chamber, with the Governor's address beginning at 11:00 A.M.
The resolution also creates a 14-member escort committee, seven lawmakers chosen by the Speaker of the House and seven chosen by the President of the Senate, to bring the Governor into the chamber. It invites the Justices of the Georgia Supreme Court and the Judges of the Court of Appeals to attend, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to the Governor and to each judge and justice.

### What it does

- Schedules a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate for 10:45 A.M. on January 15, 2026, in the House chamber.
- Invites Governor Brian Kemp to address the joint session starting at 11:00 A.M. that same day.
- Creates a 14-member escort committee, split evenly between House and Senate members, to bring the Governor to the chamber.
- Extends an invitation to the Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Judges of the Court of Appeals to attend.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the Governor and to each invited judge and justice.

### Who it affects

This mainly affects Governor Brian Kemp, members of the Georgia House and Senate who will attend or serve on the escort committee, and the Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia and Judges of the Court of Appeals who are invited to attend.

### Why it matters

The resolution formally organizes the logistics for the Governor's address to the legislature, a customary event where the Governor typically outlines policy priorities. It matters mainly as a procedural step ensuring lawmakers, judges, and the Governor coordinate on the event's timing and format.

### Key provisions

- First resolving clause invites Governor Brian Kemp to address a joint session at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
- Second clause sets the joint session itself to convene at 10:45 A.M. that day in the House chamber.
- Third clause creates a 14-member escort committee, with seven members named by the Speaker of the House and seven named by the President of the Senate.
- Fourth clause invites the Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Court of Appeals to attend.
- Fifth clause instructs the Clerk of the House to transmit copies of the resolution to the Governor and to each invited judge and justice.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-01-12)
- Last action: Senate Transmitted House (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: Chuck Efstration
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72126

> The history, votes, and amendments (224 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997.md?full=1