--- title: SR 244. Equal Rights Amendment; encouraging all states to ratify collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr244 cite_as: SR 244, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr244 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr244.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr244/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70705 date: 2025-02-24 status: introduced 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/sr243.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr245.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr244.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 244 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-21 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Michael Rhett - Donzella James text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR244/2025 upstream_id: 1979992 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Equal Rights Amendment - women's rights - constitutional amendment - Georgia Senate resolution --- # SR 244. Equal Rights Amendment; encouraging all states to ratify ## Text Senate Resolution 244 By: Senators Rhett of the 33rd and James of the 28th A RESOLUTION Encouraging all states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and commending those states which have already done so; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, in 1972, the 92nd Congress of the United States of America adopted a proposed Twenty-eighth Amendment, relating to equal rights, to the United States Constitution; and WHEREAS, to date, 38 states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, which meets the requirements of ratification by three-fourths of the states; and WHEREAS, if all states ratified such amendment, it would serve as a show of support nationwide for the Equal Rights Amendment. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that 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. 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 other states. ## 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 urges states that have not yet ratified the federal Equal Rights Amendment to do so and praises the 38 states that already have. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-21) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-24) - Sponsors: Michael Rhett, Donzella James - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70705 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr244.md?full=1