--- title: SR 587. Rosa Parks Day; recognize February 4, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr587 cite_as: SR 587, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr587 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr587.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr587/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72328 date: 2026-01-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 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/sr586.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr588.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr587.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 587 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-27 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Donzella James - RaShaun Kemp - Kim Jackson - Freddie Sims text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR587/2025 upstream_id: 2089546 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Rosa Parks Day - civil rights history - Georgia Senate resolutions - ceremonial recognition --- # SR 587. Rosa Parks Day; recognize February 4, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 587 By: Senators James of the 28th, Kemp of the 38th, Jackson of the 41st and Sims of the 12th A RESOLUTION Honoring the memory of Mrs. Rosa Parks and recognizing February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, on December 1, 1955, seamstress Rosa Parks became a beacon of courage and a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger, accepting arrest, trial, and conviction rather than humiliation; and WHEREAS, her quiet insistence on human dignity in the face of segregation, racism, and Jim Crow laws sparked the city-wide bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, that brought an unknown young minister, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to national prominence; and WHEREAS, alongside Dr. King, Rosa Parks became a leader and an icon in the national effort that resulted in the United States Supreme Court decision outlawing the segregation of city buses and gave critical momentum to the larger battle for civil rights; and WHEREAS, Rosa Parks has been hailed as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" in America for her pivotal act on that day in Alabama, as well as for her lifelong commitment to justice for Black Americans; and WHEREAS, Rosa Parks received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a Congressional Gold Medal; and following her death at age 92, she became the first woman to lie in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda; and WHEREAS, this historic stronghold created a wave of positive change in America, which is evident by women being allowed to serve on submarines in the United States armed forces and taking leadership positions in religious, business, and political arenas; more women serving in Congress than ever before; the first woman, Kamala Harris, being elected to serve as Vice President of the United States; and the election of the nation's first Black president; and WHEREAS, Rosa Parks risked her life on December 1, 1955, in a selfless effort to end racism, it is abundantly fitting and proper that her legacy is honored and the fight for equal rights and the ending of racism continues. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor the memory of Mrs. Rosa Parks and her gallant service to this nation and the Civil Rights Movement and recognize February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 designates February 4, 2026, as Rosa Parks Day at the state capitol, honoring her role in the civil rights movement. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-27) - Sponsors: Donzella James, RaShaun Kemp, Kim Jackson, Freddie Sims - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72328 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr587.md?full=1