--- title: SR 312. International Franchise Association; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr312 cite_as: SR 312, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr312 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr312.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr312/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71027 date: 2025-03-03 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 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/sr311.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr313.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr312.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 312 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-03 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jason Esteves - Sonya Halpern - Nan Orrock - Josh McLaurin - RaShaun Kemp - Emanuel Jones - Donzella James - Kenya Wicks text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR312/2025 upstream_id: 1989303 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - franchise businesses - small business - economic development - legislative recognition --- # SR 312. International Franchise Association; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 312 By: Senators Esteves of the 35th, Halpern of the 39th, Orrock of the 36th, McLaurin of the 14th, Kemp of the 38th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the International Franchise Association for its contributions to economic growth and small business development; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is a leading advocate for responsible franchising practices, working to protect, promote, and enhance the franchise business model in Georgia and throughout the United States; and WHEREAS, franchising is a significant driver of economic growth, accounting for more than 830,800 establishments nationwide, supporting nearly 8.8 million direct jobs, and generating $896 billion in economic output, representing almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of the United States; and WHEREAS, Georgia has more than 32,000 franchise establishments that provide employment to over 340,600 individuals and contribute more than $34.6 billion in annual economic activity; and WHEREAS, the franchise business model has been particularly beneficial to groups traditionally underrepresented in business ownership, including veterans, minorities, and women, by providing opportunities for entrepreneurship and financial independence; and WHEREAS, Georgia was recently named the No. 1 state for franchise growth by the International Franchise Association, and some of the nation's most well-known franchise brands, including Chick-fil-A, Inspire Brands, Zaxby's, Waffle House, Flying Biscuit Café, Holiday Inn, Primrose Schools, and many others, are headquartered in Georgia; and WHEREAS, franchising operates across more than 300 industry sectors, ranging from hospitality and automotive services to healthcare and retail, enabling individuals to build successful businesses while benefiting from established brands, operational systems, and ongoing support; and WHEREAS, the franchise business model supports both franchisers and franchisees by allowing franchisees to manage the day-to-day affairs of their businesses independently while maintaining brand standards and customer expectations; and WHEREAS, the International Franchise Association remains a steadfast champion for franchising, advocating for policies that support business growth, job creation, and the long-term success of franchise enterprises across the country. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend the International Franchise Association for its contributions to economic growth, small business development, and entrepreneurial opportunity in Georgia and beyond 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 International Franchise Association. ## 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 recognizes and commends the International Franchise Association for its role in economic growth and small business development in Georgia and nationwide. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It praises the International Franchise Association (IFA), a trade group that advocates for franchise businesses, for its work supporting franchising in Georgia and across the country. The resolution cites statistics about franchising's economic impact, including figures on jobs and economic output nationally and in Georgia, and notes that Georgia was recently named the top state for franchise growth. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the International Franchise Association as a formal token of recognition. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends the International Franchise Association for its contributions to economic growth and small business development. - States Georgia's Senate view that franchising supports entrepreneurship among veterans, minorities, and women. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the International Franchise Association. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or impose any legal obligation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the International Franchise Association as its honoree. It also references Georgia-based franchise brands and the broader franchise industry, though it creates no legal requirements for any business, agency, or individual. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendatory resolution rather than binding legislation, it has no direct legal or financial effect on Georgians. Its practical significance is symbolic: an official statement from the Georgia Senate praising the franchise industry's economic role in the state. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recite statistics on franchising's economic impact nationally (over 830,800 establishments, 8.8 million jobs, $896 billion in output) and in Georgia (32,000 establishments, 340,600 jobs, $34.6 billion in economic activity). - The resolution notes Georgia was named the No. 1 state for franchise growth and lists Georgia-headquartered franchise brands such as Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, and Waffle House. - The resolved clause has the Senate recognize and commend the International Franchise Association and wish it continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to the association. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-03) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-03) - Sponsors: Jason Esteves, Sonya Halpern, Nan Orrock, Josh McLaurin, RaShaun Kemp, Emanuel Jones, Donzella James, Kenya Wicks - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71027 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr312.md?full=1