--- title: SR 598. Colbenson, Kathy; congratulate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr598 cite_as: SR 598, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr598 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr598.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr598/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72341 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/sr597.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr599.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr598.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 598 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: - Nan Orrock - Kay Kirkpatrick - Ed Harbison - Drew Echols - Gail Davenport - David Lucas - Donzella James - Russ Goodman - Larry Walker - RaShaun Kemp - Blake Tillery - Sheikh Rahman text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR598/2025 upstream_id: 2091389 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Senate resolution - nonprofit leadership - CHRIS 180 - community recognition --- # SR 598. Colbenson, Kathy; congratulate ## Text Senate Resolution 598 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Harbison of the 15th, Echols of the 49th, Davenport of the 17th and others A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending Kathy Colbenson upon receiving the 2026 Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of Buckhead presents the Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award annually to a non-member who exemplifies the Rotary motto of “service above self”; and WHEREAS, in recognition of her vision and unyielding commitment to advocating for children, families, and the underserved, Kathy Colbenson has been named the 26th Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year; and WHEREAS, Kathy Colbenson has long been recognized as one of the state’s most respected and dedicated non-profit leaders; and WHEREAS, since arriving at CHRIS 180 in 1987, Kathy Colbenson has been instrumental in developing innovative, trauma-informed approaches and programs that strengthen families and troubled youth in the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, under her more than 36 years of leadership, CHRIS 180 expanded to include eight group homes, a permanent supportive housing program, and a counseling center; and WHEREAS, she furthered the impact of the organization, growing the annual budget from $400,000 to over $35 million, thereby enabling CHRIS 180 to positively impact the lives of more than 350,000 people; and WHEREAS, Kathy Colbenson is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this extraordinary Georgian be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Kathy Colbenson for her unwavering commitment to justice, mercy, and hope; congratulate her upon receiving the 2026 Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award; and extend best wishes for her continued health, happiness, and success. 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 Kathy Colbenson. ## 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 congratulates Kathy Colbenson, longtime leader of CHRIS 180, for receiving the 2026 Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Buckhead. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate honoring Kathy Colbenson, who has led the nonprofit CHRIS 180 since 1987. The resolution describes her work growing the organization's programs for children, families, and underserved Georgians, including expanding to eight group homes, a supportive housing program, and a counseling center, while growing its annual budget from $400,000 to over $35 million. The resolution formally congratulates her on receiving the Rotary Club of Buckhead's 2026 Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award, the 26th person to receive it. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Colbenson. The resolution creates no new law, funding, or requirements; it is a formal statement of recognition. ### What it does - Formally congratulates Kathy Colbenson on receiving the 2026 Reverend Robert Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year Award. - Recites her history of leadership at CHRIS 180 since 1987, including expansion of housing and counseling programs. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Colbenson. - Creates no changes to Georgia law, funding, or agency requirements, as a ceremonial resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Kathy Colbenson, the nonprofit CHRIS 180 she leads, and the Rotary Club of Buckhead, which presents the award. It has no legal effect on any other group of Georgians. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical or legal effect on Georgians generally. It serves as a public, official record of the Georgia Senate's recognition of one individual's decades of nonprofit leadership and community service. ### Key provisions - The resolved clause recognizes and commends Kathy Colbenson for her work and congratulates her on the award. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Colbenson. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-27) - Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Kay Kirkpatrick, Ed Harbison, Drew Echols, Gail Davenport, David Lucas, Donzella James, Russ Goodman, Larry Walker, RaShaun Kemp, Blake Tillery, Sheikh Rahman - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72341 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr598.md?full=1