--- title: HR 999. Georgia citizens, cities, and counties; remember and honor the sacredness of America's 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026; urge collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr999 cite_as: HR 999, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr999 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr999.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr999/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72129 date: 2026-02-12 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr998.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1000.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 416 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr999.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 999 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-12 last_action: House Passed/Adopted sponsors: - Brent Cox - Rick Jasperse - James Hatchett - Bill Fincher - Carter Barrett - Lauren McDonald text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR999/2025 upstream_id: 2072039 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Declaration of Independence anniversary - civic education - Georgia history - commemorative events --- # HR 999. Georgia citizens, cities, and counties; remember and honor the sacredness of America's 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026; urge ## Text House Resolution 999 By: Representatives Cox of the 28th, Jasperse of the 11th, Hatchett of the 155th, Fincher of the 23rd, Barrett of the 24th, and others A RESOLUTION Urging all Georgia citizens, cities, and counties to remember and honor the sacredness of America's 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"; and WHEREAS, this momentous document, principally authored by Thomas Jefferson with significant contributions from John Adams, established the principles of limited government, individual liberty, and constitutional governance that remain the cornerstone of American freedom; and WHEREAS, Georgia played a vital role in our nation's founding, with three Georgian delegates—Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton—courageously signing the Declaration of Independence; and WHEREAS, the 250th Anniversary, occurring on July 4, 2026, represents a seminal moment deserving of solemn recognition and joyous celebration; and WHEREAS, this milestone provides an opportunity for all Georgians to renew their commitment to the timeless principles of liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and God-given rights that define our constitutional republic. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge all Georgia citizens, cities, and counties to remember and honor the sacredness of America's 250th Anniversary through meaningful participation in commemorative activities, educational initiatives, and patriotic celebrations. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body encourage all Georgians to study and reflect upon the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence; honor the memory of our nation's founders and all who have defended our constitutional republic; engage in civic education and encourage democratic participation; strengthen community bonds through shared celebration of our heritage; and renew their commitment to liberty, justice, personal responsibility, and constitutional principles. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body encourage all municipalities and counties to organize commemorative events, historical displays, and educational programs that celebrate this sacred anniversary and inspire future generations to cherish and protect the blessings of liberty. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 urges Georgia citizens, cities, and counties to honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, through commemorative and educational activities. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives asks all Georgians, along with local cities and counties, to recognize and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which falls on July 4, 2026. It recalls Georgia's role in the founding, noting the three Georgia delegates who signed the Declaration, and calls the anniversary a milestone worth solemn recognition and celebration. The resolution encourages Georgians to study the Declaration's principles, honor the nation's founders, take part in civic education, and strengthen communities through shared celebration. It also encourages cities and counties to organize commemorative events, historical displays, and educational programs. Finally, it directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Urges Georgia citizens, cities, and counties to honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. - Encourages Georgians to study the Declaration's principles and honor the memory of the nation's founders. - Encourages civic education, democratic participation, and community bonding through shared celebration of the anniversary. - Encourages municipalities and counties to organize commemorative events, historical displays, and educational programs. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### Who it affects The resolution addresses all Georgia citizens, as well as city and county governments across the state, encouraging them to participate in commemorative and educational activities marking the nation's 250th anniversary. ### Why it matters Because this is a resolution rather than a law, it creates no legal requirements or funding. Its practical effect is to formally encourage Georgians and local governments to hold events and educational programs around the July 4, 2026 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. ### Key provisions - The resolution recounts the history of the Declaration of Independence and Georgia's three signers: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton. - The House resolves to urge citizens, cities, and counties to honor the anniversary through commemorative activities, education, and celebrations. - The House further resolves to encourage Georgians to study the Declaration's principles and engage in civic education and democratic participation. - The House further resolves to encourage municipalities and counties to organize commemorative events, displays, and educational programs. - The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available for distribution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-12) - Last action: House Passed/Adopted (2026-02-12) - Sponsors: Brent Cox, Rick Jasperse, James Hatchett, Bill Fincher, Carter Barrett, Lauren McDonald - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72129 > The history, votes, and amendments (416 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr999.md?full=1