Georgia CommonsSR 587: Rosa Parks Day; recognize February 4, 2026
Last action January 27, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution designates February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol, honoring her role in the civil rights movement.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It recounts Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955, the Montgomery bus boycott that followed, her honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, and her later distinction as the first woman to lie in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda. The resolution's operative action is narrow: the Senate formally recognizes February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol and directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and press. It does not create any new rights, funding, or legal requirements.
What the bill does
- Formally designates February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the Georgia state capitol.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.
- Recites Rosa Parks' biography and honors without creating any new law, funding, or agency duties.
Who it affects
This resolution primarily affects the Georgia Senate itself, through its ceremonial recognition, and the Secretary of the Senate, who must distribute copies. It has no direct legal effect on the general public, businesses, or other state agencies.
Why it matters
Because this is a commemorative resolution rather than a law, it does not change anyone's rights, obligations, or funding. Its main real-world effect is a symbolic one-day recognition at the capitol honoring Rosa Parks' legacy in the civil rights movement.
Key provisions
- The resolving clause states the Senate honors Rosa Parks' memory and recognizes February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol.
- A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available for distribution to the public and the press.
- The 'whereas' clauses provide historical background on Parks' 1955 bus boycott role and later honors but do not carry legal force.
From the bill
“recognize February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol”
“she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger, accepting arrest, trial, and conviction rather than humiliation”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
- Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
Topics
- Rosa Parks Day
- civil rights history
- Georgia Senate resolutions
- ceremonial recognition