--- title: SR 220. Black Child Development Institute; congratulate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr220 cite_as: SR 220, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr220 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr220.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr220/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70565 date: 2025-02-20 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/sr219.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr221.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr220.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 220 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-20 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Billy Hickman - Nan Orrock text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR220/2025 upstream_id: 1976319 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - literacy programs - early childhood education - legislative honors - community organizations --- # SR 220. Black Child Development Institute; congratulate ## Text Senate Resolution 220 By: Senators Hickman of the 4th and Orrock of the 36th A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending the Black Child Development Institute, recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, for its dedication to literacy advancement; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Council on Literacy is dedicated to improving literacy from birth through adulthood and recognizes that communities play a critical role in addressing low literacy rates; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Reads Community Award was established to recognize communities across Georgia that have formed partnerships of two or more organizations, sustained for at least three years, with a strategic plan and measurable results in literacy improvement; and WHEREAS, the Black Child Development Institute is a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award for its dedicated efforts in promoting early literacy and language development for families with children from birth to age eight; and WHEREAS, the Read to Succeed program assists families in establishing home libraries filled with culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate children's books to foster a love of reading and learning; and WHEREAS, its meaningful partnerships include the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, and the Atlanta Speech School's Rollins Center for Language and Literacy, demonstrating a strong commitment to literacy development through collaboration and resource-sharing; and WHEREAS, these initiatives have led to measurable improvements in reading proficiency, ensuring greater opportunities for success in education and career development; and WHEREAS, the dedication and hard work of the Black Child Development Institute and its partners serve as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of community-driven solutions to address literacy challenges. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body congratulate and commend the Georgia Reads Community Award recipients, particularly the Black Child Development Institute, for their exemplary service and unwavering commitment to improving literacy in their communities. 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 the Black Child Development Institute. ## 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 Senate resolution formally congratulates the Black Child Development Institute for winning a statewide literacy award recognizing its early childhood reading programs. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a bill that changes any law. It recognizes the Black Child Development Institute as a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, given by the Georgia Council on Literacy to communities that build sustained partnerships to improve literacy. The resolution describes the organization's Read to Succeed program, which helps families build home libraries of culturally responsive, age-appropriate children's books for kids from birth to age eight. It also credits partnerships with groups like the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, and the Atlanta Speech School's Rollins Center for Language and Literacy. The Senate directs its Secretary to send a copy of the resolution to the Institute as a formal token of recognition. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends the Black Child Development Institute for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award. - Recognizes the organization's Read to Succeed program, which provides families with home libraries of children's books. - Credits the Institute's partnerships with groups including the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to the Institute. - Creates no new law, funding, or requirement; it is a ceremonial statement of praise. ### Who it affects The Black Child Development Institute and its partner organizations, including the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, and the Atlanta Speech School's Rollins Center for Language and Literacy. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect, but it gives official state recognition to a community literacy program, which can raise its public profile and highlight the partnerships behind efforts to improve early childhood reading in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolution recites the purpose of the Georgia Reads Community Award, given to community partnerships sustained at least three years with measurable literacy results. - It names the Black Child Development Institute as an award recipient for work on early literacy for children from birth to age eight. - It describes the Read to Succeed program's focus on culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate home libraries. - The final resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the Institute. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-20) - Sponsors: Billy Hickman, Nan Orrock - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70565 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr220.md?full=1