--- title: SR 59. Ayers, Michael T.; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr59 cite_as: SR 59, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr59 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr59.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr59/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69633 date: 2025-01-29 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/sr58.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr60.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr59.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 59 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-29 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - John Albers - Brandon Beach - Randy Robertson - Ricky Williams - Bo Hatchett - Carden Summers - Chuck Payne - Timothy Bearden text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR59/2025 upstream_id: 1945115 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - law enforcement - POST council - ceremonial resolution - Georgia Senate honors --- # SR 59. Ayers, Michael T.; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 59 By: Senators Albers of the 56th, Beach of the 21st, Robertson of the 29th, Williams of the 25th, Hatchett of the 50th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and congratulating Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council's Executive Director Michael T. Ayers upon being awarded Georgia's Outstanding Police Chief of the Year; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Executive Director Michael T. Ayers began his career in 1989 with the Hartwell Police Department and subsequently joined the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in 1990, rising to the rank of Special Agent in Charge; and WHEREAS, he was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) by Governor Brian P. Kemp on May 15, 2019; and WHEREAS, Director Ayers graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice; and WHEREAS, Director Ayers has graduated from advanced law enforcement leadership programs such as the FBI National Academy, the Georgia Law Enforcement Professional Management Program, and the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange Program; and WHEREAS, Director Ayers is a member of and has served as President of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training; and WHEREAS, under the leadership of Director Ayers, POST operations were modernized, and he significantly contributed to the safety and efficiency of law enforcement throughout Georgia while acknowledging the recruiting and retention challenges facing law enforcement executives; and WHEREAS, Director Ayers retired from service to the citizens of Georgia on January 2, 2025; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper to recognize the impactful changes at POST, which benefit all law enforcement as well as the citizens of the State of Georgia, brought about by the visionary leadership of Executive Director Michael T. Ayers. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and congratulate Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council's Executive Director Michael T. Ayers upon being awarded Georgia's Outstanding Police Chief of the Year. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Executive Director Michael T. Ayers. ## 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 honors Michael T. Ayers, outgoing Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, for being named Georgia's Outstanding Police Chief of the Year. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Michael T. Ayers, who led the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) as Executive Director, for receiving the Outstanding Police Chief of the Year award. The resolution recounts his career, starting with the Hartwell Police Department in 1989, moving to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and his appointment as POST's Executive Director by Governor Brian Kemp in 2019. It notes his education, leadership training, and role modernizing POST operations before his retirement on January 2, 2025. The Senate directs its Secretary to provide Ayers with a copy of the resolution as a keepsake. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and congratulates Michael T. Ayers for being named Georgia's Outstanding Police Chief of the Year. - Documents his career history from the Hartwell Police Department through his role as Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST). - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Ayers. - Carries no funding, penalty, or change to Georgia law; it is purely a commendation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Michael T. Ayers, the retired Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. It has no legal effect on other individuals, agencies, or the public. ### Why it matters This resolution is symbolic and creates no new rights, duties, or funding. Its practical effect is limited to an official Senate acknowledgment of one official's career and award, recorded in the legislative record and shared with him personally. ### Key provisions - Recites Ayers's career from joining the Hartwell Police Department in 1989 to becoming a Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge. - Notes his 2019 appointment as POST Executive Director by Governor Brian P. Kemp and his retirement on January 2, 2025. - Resolves that the Senate recognizes and congratulates Ayers for the Outstanding Police Chief of the Year award. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Ayers. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-29) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-01-29) - Sponsors: John Albers, Brandon Beach, Randy Robertson, Ricky Williams, Bo Hatchett, Carden Summers, Chuck Payne, Timothy Bearden - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69633 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr59.md?full=1