Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 492: Dorsey, Hattie B.; condolences
Last action March 28, 2025 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Hattie B. Dorsey, the founding leader of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, who died in May 2024.
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 Georgia Senate resolution, a formal statement rather than a change to state law. It recognizes Hattie B. Dorsey, who died on May 29, 2024, and recounts her career as a pioneer in affordable housing and community development in metro Atlanta. It describes her roles with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Mayor Ivan Allen, Congressman Charles Weltner, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, as well as her work at the Atlanta Economic Development Corporation (now Invest Atlanta) and as founding President and CEO of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership. The resolution states that the Senate joins in honoring her life and expressing regret at her passing, and it directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to her family. It does not create any new law, funding, or ongoing program.
What the bill does
- Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Hattie B. Dorsey on May 29, 2024.
- Recounts her career, including founding and leading the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership for 15 years.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Dorsey's family.
- Creates no new statute, funding, or regulatory requirement, as resolutions of this kind carry no legal force beyond the honor itself.
Who it affects
The resolution directly affects the family of Hattie B. Dorsey, who will receive an official copy, and reflects on organizations she worked with, including the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and Invest Atlanta. It does not impose obligations on the general public or any government agency.
Why it matters
The resolution has no legal or financial effect on Georgians; its significance is symbolic. It puts the Georgia Senate on record recognizing a community leader's contributions to affordable housing and neighborhood development in metro Atlanta.
Key provisions
- The resolution recites Dorsey's biography and career achievements in a series of 'whereas' clauses, with no operative legal effect.
- The resolved clause has the Senate join in honoring her life and expressing regret at her passing.
- A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to her family.
From the bill
“the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Hattie B. Dorsey and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her passing”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-36)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-34)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-17)
- Randal Mangham (D, SD-55)
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-15)
- Emanuel Jones (D, SD-10)
- Michael 'Doc' Rhett (D, SD-33)
- David Lucas (D, SD-26)
- Harold Jones II (D, SD-22)
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-38)
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-35)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
- Donzella James (D, SD-28)
Topics
- Georgia Senate resolution
- affordable housing
- Atlanta community development
- condolence resolution