Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 403: Taylor, Valerie; commend
Last action March 20, 2025 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution commends Valerie Taylor, a nurse and cancer survivor, for her advocacy work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and her efforts to close Georgia's Medicaid coverage gap.
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 Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate honoring Valerie Taylor, a former nurse who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2018 and later breast cancer in 2023. After losing her job while caring for her mother, she fell into Georgia's Medicaid coverage gap, meaning she lacked health insurance despite needing life-saving cancer treatment. The resolution recounts her advocacy work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, including winning its Advocacy Champion of the Year award in 2022, being featured in the Society's annual report and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and helping create a video about the Medicaid coverage gap. It formally commends her for her contributions to the cancer community and directs the Secretary of the Senate to give her a copy of the resolution. It does not change any Georgia law.
What the bill does
- Formally commends Valerie Taylor for her advocacy work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the cancer community.
- Recites her personal history, including her cancer diagnoses and experience with Georgia's Medicaid coverage gap.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Valerie Taylor.
- Creates no new law, funding, or policy; it is a ceremonial honor with no binding legal effect.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names and honors Valerie Taylor. It also references the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and, more broadly, cancer patients in Georgia affected by the state's Medicaid coverage gap, though it creates no obligations for any of them.
Why it matters
This resolution has no legal effect; it does not change Medicaid eligibility or coverage. Its significance is symbolic, publicly recognizing one advocate's story and drawing legislative attention to Georgia's Medicaid coverage gap and its effects on cancer patients.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses describe Valerie Taylor's cancer diagnoses, her job loss, and her fall into Georgia's Medicaid coverage gap.
- The whereas clauses detail her advocacy achievements, including a 2022 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society award and media coverage.
- The resolving clause formally commends her as an advocate, survivor, and hero for cancer patients in Georgia and nationally.
- The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide her with a copy of the resolution.
From the bill
“she fell into Georgia's coverage gap and was left without the critical healthcare coverage she needed”
“commend Valerie Taylor for her outstanding contributions to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and to the broader cancer community”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-41)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
- Nikki Merritt (D, SD-9)
- Randal Mangham (D, SD-55)
- Michael 'Doc' Rhett (D, SD-33)
- Mike Hodges (R, SD-3)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-36)
- Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
- Max Burns (R, SD-23)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-43)
- Derek Mallow (D, SD-2)
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-35)
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-44)
- Josh McLaurin (D, SD-14)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-34)
- Harold Jones II (D, SD-22)
Topics
- Medicaid coverage gap
- cancer advocacy
- healthcare access
- Senate commendation