--- title: SR 249. Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr249 cite_as: SR 249, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70711 date: 2025-02-26 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/sr248.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr250.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 249 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-26 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sonya Halpern - Shawn Still - Sam Watson - Russ Goodman - Kim Jackson - Tonya Anderson - Nan Orrock - Ricky Williams - Mike Hodges - Freddie Sims - Gail Davenport - David Lucas - Donzella James - Michael Rhett - Sheikh Rahman - Sally Harrell - Kenya Wicks - Josh McLaurin - Derek Mallow - Harold Jones - Elena Parent text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR249/2025 upstream_id: 1982178 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - minority business development - economic development - Georgia Senate resolution - supplier diversity --- # SR 249. Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council; commend ## Text Senate Resolution 249 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Still of the 48th, Watson of the 11th, Goodman of the 8th, Jackson of the 41st and others A RESOLUTION Commending the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council upon its 50th anniversary; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) has served as the State of Georgia's premier small business development and supplier diversity advocacy organization for the past 50 years; and WHEREAS, founded in 1975 as the Atlanta Regional Minority Purchasing Council by six visionary Georgia corporations—AT&T, the Coca-Cola Company, Cox Communications, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, and WestRock—the GMSDC has since expanded into a leading organization dedicated to strengthening supplier diversity and business development across the state; and WHEREAS, the GMSDC community consists of more than 400 Georgia corporations and government entities that conduct business with the 1,400 small and minority business suppliers within the council's ecosystem; and WHEREAS, the partnerships cultivated by the GMSDC generate more than $11 billion in annual revenue, with an economic impact exceeding $20 billion; and WHEREAS, the GMSDC's supply chain relationships support tens of thousands of jobs across the state, providing billions of dollars in wages and benefits to Georgia's workforce and greatly supporting economic growth; and WHEREAS, the GMSDC has further provided vital certification, business development, capacity building, mentoring, leadership training, financial resources, and technology support to both large and small businesses in Georgia; and WHEREAS, the GMSDC spearheads the state's annual Minority Business Opportunity Week each September, celebrating the achievements of Georgia's minority-owned businesses and recognizing their essential contributions to the state's economy; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable organization be appropriately honored during this special time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council upon the grand occasion of its 50th anniversary as well as extend best wishes for continued success. 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 Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. ## 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 commends the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council on its 50th anniversary, recognizing its work supporting minority owned businesses across the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate honoring the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The text recounts the organization's history, including its 1975 founding by six Georgia corporations, its network of more than 400 corporate and government members doing business with 1,400 small and minority suppliers, and the billions of dollars in economic activity tied to those partnerships. The Senate resolves to commend the council and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send it a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally commends the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council on its 50th anniversary. - Recites the council's history, membership, and economic impact figures as part of the Senate's official record. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the council. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or appropriate any state funding. ### Who it affects The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council and its network of more than 400 corporate and government members and 1,400 small and minority business suppliers are named in the resolution, though the resolution itself imposes no legal obligations on them. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect and changes no Georgia law. Its practical significance is symbolic: it puts the Senate's public recognition of the council's economic role, including billions in associated revenue and thousands of jobs, into the official legislative record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the GMSDC's 1975 founding by six Georgia corporations and its growth into the state's supplier diversity organization. - The whereas clauses cite more than $11 billion in annual revenue and over $20 billion in economic impact tied to GMSDC partnerships. - The resolving clause formally commends the GMSDC on its 50th anniversary and extends best wishes for continued success. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to the GMSDC. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-26) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-26) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Shawn Still, Sam Watson, Russ Goodman, Kim Jackson, Tonya Anderson, Nan Orrock, Ricky Williams, Mike Hodges, Freddie Sims, Gail Davenport, David Lucas, Donzella James, Michael Rhett, Sheikh Rahman, Sally Harrell, Kenya Wicks, Josh McLaurin, Derek Mallow, Harold Jones, Elena Parent - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70711 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249.md?full=1