--- title: SR 194. Cumberbatch, Carleen; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr194 cite_as: SR 194, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr194 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr194.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr194/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70366 date: 2025-02-18 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/sr193.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr195.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr194.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 194 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-18 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Emanuel Jones - Derek Mallow - Russ Goodman - Nikki Merritt - Jason Esteves - Freddie Sims - David Lucas - Kenya Wicks - RaShaun Kemp text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR194/2025 upstream_id: 1970345 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - senior citizens - DeKalb County - legislative honor - aging services --- # SR 194. Cumberbatch, Carleen; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 194 By: Senators Jones of the 10th, Mallow of the 2nd, Goodman of the 8th, Merritt of the 9th, Esteves of the 35th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Carleen Cumberbatch, the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Carleen Cumberbatch has been honored as this year's Distinguished Older Georgian for her more than 30 years of advocacy and volunteer service to the senior citizens of DeKalb County and beyond; and WHEREAS, the Distinguished Older Georgian Award was established in 2003 by the Georgia Council on Aging to recognize individuals over the age of 70 who have served as positive role models and made significant contributions to society through their occupational or volunteer efforts; and WHEREAS, since discovering that DeKalb County offered no services to seniors unless they were homebound or indigent, she has worked to address these gaps through volunteerism, community organizing, and program development; and WHEREAS, she is the founder of the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers, which she originally formed to encourage women to exercise together once a week by line dancing as well as to advocate for DeKalb County seniors; and WHEREAS, as an AARP volunteer in the 1990s, she conducted workshops and seminars on Medicare, lectured nursing classes at Georgia Perimeter College, and organized and implemented senior group ministries; and WHEREAS, she has further served AARP as an entitlement speaker; community coordinator; district coordinator for DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale counties; women's specialist for Georgia; and coordinator for Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) for multiple counties and municipalities; and WHEREAS, Carleen Cumberbatch was appointed to the Housing Authority of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners in 2003, where she now serves as board chair; and WHEREAS, she has additionally served as a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission Advisory Committee on Aging since 2001, commissioner for the NAHRO Board from 2010 to 2021, representative for DeKalb County's District 31 in the Georgia Silver Hair Legislature, and more; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this outstanding individual be appropriately honored during this special time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Carleen Cumberbatch, the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian, and extend best wishes for future health and happiness. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Carleen Cumberbatch. ## 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 Senate resolution honors Carleen Cumberbatch of DeKalb County as the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian for decades of volunteer work with senior citizens. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial measure from the Georgia Senate recognizing Carleen Cumberbatch, who has been named the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian by the Georgia Council on Aging. The award, created in 2003, honors people over age 70 who have made significant contributions to society through their work or volunteer service. The resolution lists her more than 30 years of advocacy for seniors in DeKalb County, including founding the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers, volunteering with AARP on Medicare education and senior programs, chairing the Housing Authority of DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, and serving on regional and national aging-related boards. The Senate resolves to commend her and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide her with a copy of the resolution. It does not change any Georgia law. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Carleen Cumberbatch as the 2025 Distinguished Older Georgian. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Cumberbatch. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulation; it is a ceremonial statement of the Senate's position. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Carleen Cumberbatch, a DeKalb County senior advocate, and references organizations tied to her work, including the Housing Authority of DeKalb County, AARP, and the Atlanta Regional Commission's aging committee. It has no legal effect on the public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences for Georgians; its practical effect is limited to an official Senate acknowledgment of one individual's decades of community service to seniors in DeKalb County and the surrounding region. ### Key provisions - The preamble (whereas clauses) details Cumberbatch's history, including founding the South DeKalb Senior Line Dancers and her AARP volunteer roles. - The resolving clause formally states that the Senate recognizes and commends Cumberbatch and wishes her future health and happiness. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-18) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-18) - Sponsors: Emanuel Jones, Derek Mallow, Russ Goodman, Nikki Merritt, Jason Esteves, Freddie Sims, David Lucas, Kenya Wicks, RaShaun Kemp - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70366 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr194.md?full=1