--- title: SR 367. Polio Vaccination Campaign; 70th anniversary; commemorate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr367 cite_as: SR 367, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr367 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr367.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr367/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71253 date: 2025-03-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/sr366.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr368.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr367.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 367 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-11 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Randy Robertson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR367/2025 upstream_id: 1996837 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - polio vaccine history - public health - Georgia Senate resolution - Warm Springs Institute --- # SR 367. Polio Vaccination Campaign; 70th anniversary; commemorate ## Text 25 LC 129 0261 Senate Resolution 367 By: Senator Robertson of the 29th A RESOLUTION Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, seventy years ago, in 1954, the United States embarked on a historic public3 health initiative, the Polio Vaccination Campaign, marking the beginning of the end for a4 disease that had long afflicted children and adults, leaving thousands paralyzed or dead each5 year; and 6 WHEREAS, polio is a highly infectious disease which has existed for thousands of years,7 and primarily affects children under the age of five, causing p aralysis and death, and for8 which there is no known cure; and9 WHEREAS, through the groundbreaking work of many physicians and scientists, the10 development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine offered hope to millions of families11 across Georgia, the United States, and the world; and12 WHEREAS, Georgia played an important role in the campaign to st op polio, as President13 Franklin Roosevelt, who called Georgia "my second home," was himself a victim of polio14 S. R. 367 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0261 and sought therapies from the Warm Springs Institute in the 1930s and 1940s, and brought15 additional public attention to this dreaded disease; and16 WHEREAS, in the 1950s, the Talmage Memorial Hospital, now Medical College of Georgia17 Hospital, served as a central repository for the entire Southeast of iron lungs, the life-saving18 device that enabled paralyzed victims of polio to breathe; and19 WHEREAS, on April 12, 1955, the largest mass vaccination effort in United States history20 began, which ultimately led to the eradication of polio in the United States; and21 WHEREAS, President Dwight Eisenhower, whose administration play e d a k e y r o l e i n22 funding polio research and ensuring widespread distribution of the vaccine, stated "I think23 that this is one of the greatest events of our time"; and24 WHEREAS, this anniversary serves as a reminder of the power of science, medicine, and25 collective action in overcoming such a terrible and devastating disease, which affects26 children and stands as one of the greatest public health triumphs of the 20th century.27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body28 commemorate the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccin ation Campaign and29 acknowledge and salute the tremendous accomplishments of all th e scientists, physicians,30 public health personnel, parents, and others -many Georgians among them- who made this31 remarkable achievement possible.32 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed33 to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the34 press.35 S. R. 367 - 2 - ## 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 commemorates the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign and honors the scientists, physicians, and public health workers involved. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia Senate marks the 70th anniversary of the 1955 nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign, which began the mass vaccination effort that eventually eradicated polio in the United States. The resolution recounts the history of polio as a disease that paralyzed and killed children and adults, Georgia's connection to the disease through President Franklin Roosevelt's treatment at the Warm Springs Institute, and the role of Augusta's Talmage Memorial Hospital in housing iron lung machines for polio patients across the Southeast. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or requirement. It simply has the Senate formally commemorate the anniversary and directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and the press. ### What it does - Formally commemorates the 70th anniversary of the nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign that began in 1955. - Acknowledges and salutes the scientists, physicians, public health personnel, and parents who contributed to eradicating polio. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and press. - Creates no new law, funding, or ongoing obligation; it is a ceremonial statement rather than a change to Georgia statutes. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects the Georgia Senate itself and the historical record; it names scientists, physicians, public health workers, and parents involved in the polio vaccination effort, and references institutions such as the Warm Springs Institute and the Medical College of Georgia Hospital. ### Why it matters Because this is a commemorative resolution, it does not change any Georgian's rights, obligations, or funding. Its practical effect is limited to an official Senate statement and public distribution of copies, serving as a historical and civic acknowledgment rather than a policy change. ### Key provisions - Recites the history of polio and the 1955 nationwide vaccination campaign, including its scale and impact in the United States. - Notes Georgia's historical connection to polio through President Franklin Roosevelt's treatment at the Warm Springs Institute. - Notes that the Talmage Memorial Hospital (now Medical College of Georgia Hospital) served as a regional repository for iron lung machines in the 1950s. - Resolves that the Senate commemorates the anniversary and honors those who contributed to the vaccination campaign's success. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-11) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-11) - Sponsors: Randy Robertson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71253 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr367.md?full=1