Georgia CommonsSR 244: Equal Rights Amendment; encouraging all states to ratify
Last action February 24, 2025 · Senate Read and Referred
A Georgia Senate resolution urges states that have not yet ratified the federal Equal Rights Amendment to do so and praises the 38 states that already have.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It expresses the Georgia Senate's position on a federal constitutional amendment first proposed by Congress in 1972, which would guarantee equal rights regardless of sex as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The resolution states that 38 states have already ratified the amendment, meeting the three-fourths threshold generally required for constitutional amendments. It encourages the remaining states to ratify it and commends the states that already have. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to other states.
What the bill does
- Formally states the Georgia Senate's support for nationwide ratification of the federal Equal Rights Amendment.
- Commends the 38 states the resolution says have already ratified the amendment.
- Encourages the remaining states to ratify the amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to other states.
Who it affects
This resolution mainly affects the Georgia Senate itself, as a statement of its position, and the Secretary of the Senate, who must distribute copies. It does not directly change rights or obligations for Georgia residents, businesses, or agencies.
Why it matters
Because this is a resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia statutes, it carries no legal force and does not change any Georgia law or the U.S. Constitution. Its practical effect is limited to recording the Senate's stance and sharing that message with other states.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses recount that Congress proposed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972 and that 38 states have ratified it so far.
- The first resolving clause states the Senate's encouragement for remaining states to ratify the amendment and commends states that already have.
- The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available for distribution to other states.
From the bill
“the members of this body encourage the remaining states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and commend those states which have already done so.”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
Topics
- Equal Rights Amendment
- women's rights
- constitutional amendment
- Georgia Senate resolution