--- title: SR 225. Rise Augusta; congratulate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr225 cite_as: SR 225, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70560 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/sr224.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr226.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 225 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 - Harold Jones - Max Burns text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR225/2025 upstream_id: 1976346 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - literacy programs - Richmond County - Georgia Senate resolution - community awards - education --- # SR 225. Rise Augusta; congratulate ## Text Senate Resolution 225 By: Senators Hickman of the 4th, Jones II of the 22nd and Burns of the 23rd A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending Rise Augusta, 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, Rise Augusta has been a pillar of support for Richmond County students since 1997, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to student success; and WHEREAS, in 2020, Rise Augusta transitioned from its origins as Communities In Schools Augusta-Richmond County into an independent, community-driven organization dedicated to addressing the unique educational needs of students in the region; and WHEREAS, Rise Augusta has fostered meaningful partnerships with the Richmond County School System, CSRA Community Foundation, Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts to provide holistic educational support; 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 Rise Augusta 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 Rise Augusta, 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 Rise Augusta. ## 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 congratulates Rise Augusta, a Richmond County literacy organization, for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award for its work improving reading proficiency among students. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Rise Augusta, an Augusta-area nonprofit that has supported Richmond County students since 1997, for winning the Georgia Reads Community Award, which the Georgia Council on Literacy gives to communities that build sustained partnerships to raise literacy rates. The resolution describes Rise Augusta's history, including its 2020 transition from being part of Communities In Schools Augusta-Richmond County into an independent organization, and its partnerships with the Richmond County School System, the CSRA Community Foundation, the Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. The Senate formally congratulates the group and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Rise Augusta. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends Rise Augusta for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award for literacy work. - Recites Rise Augusta's history since 1997 and its 2020 shift to independence from Communities In Schools Augusta-Richmond County. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Rise Augusta. - Creates no new law, funding, or requirement; it is a symbolic honor by the Georgia Senate. ### Who it affects Rise Augusta and its partner organizations, including the Richmond County School System, the CSRA Community Foundation, the Regional Educational Services Agency, and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, along with students in Richmond County served by the group's literacy programs. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect, but it publicly recognizes a Richmond County organization's literacy work, giving Rise Augusta formal state acknowledgment that may help highlight its community partnerships and programs to the public. ### Key provisions - The resolution recites the Georgia Reads Community Award's criteria: partnerships of two or more organizations sustained at least three years with a strategic plan and measurable literacy results. - The resolved clause has the Senate congratulate and commend Georgia Reads Community Award recipients, particularly Rise Augusta. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Rise Augusta. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-20) - Sponsors: Billy Hickman, Harold Jones, Max Burns - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70560 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225.md?full=1