--- title: SR 609. Physician Anesthesiologists Week; recognize January 25-31 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr609 cite_as: SR 609, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr609 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr609.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr609/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72405 date: 2026-01-28 status: introduced 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/sr608.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr610.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr609.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 609 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-27 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Chuck Hufstetler - Ben Watson - Kay Kirkpatrick - Donzella James - Nan Orrock text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR609/2025 upstream_id: 2095029 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - physician anesthesiologists - ceremonial resolution - healthcare recognition - Georgia Senate --- # SR 609. Physician Anesthesiologists Week; recognize January 25-31 ## Text Senate Resolution 609 By: Senators Hufstetler of the 52nd, Watson of the 1st, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, James of the 28th and Orrock of the 36th A RESOLUTION Recognizing January 25-31, 2026, as Physician Anesthesiologists Week in Georgia at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, physician anesthesiologists are responsible for patient safety before, during, and after surgery, as well as in pain medicine with the expert ability to lead and navigate all vital moments of care; and WHEREAS, with 12 to 14 years of education, including medical school, and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of training, physician anesthesiologists possess the necessary knowledge to understand and treat the entire human body; and WHEREAS, physician anesthesiologists are made for this moment, playing a critical role in keeping patients safe in this state and community, whether managing a crisis during surgery, providing pain management during labor, or treating patients with chronic pain; and WHEREAS, the Anesthesia Care Team model, led by physician anesthesiologists, is widely recognized as the gold standard of care used in all the nation's top hospitals to protect patients; and WHEREAS, physician anesthesiologists are recognized leaders who are committed to safe and high-quality patient care, educating patients on anesthesia safety and reducing risks of complications; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the dedicated work of these healthcare providers be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize January 25-31, 2026, as Physician Anesthesiologists Week in Georgia and commend all physician anesthesiologists for their dedication to the health and well-being of the citizens of the State of Georgia. 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 Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, 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 would designate January 25-31, 2026 as Physician Anesthesiologists Week, honoring physician anesthesiologists across the state for their role in patient care. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a law that changes rights or duties. It recognizes January 25-31, 2026 as Physician Anesthesiologists Week in Georgia, citing the extensive training physician anesthesiologists undergo and their role in surgery, pain management, and patient safety. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of it to the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, the public, and the press. It does not create any new legal requirements, funding, or penalties; it is a formal statement of recognition and appreciation passed by the Senate. ### What it does - Designates January 25-31, 2026 as Physician Anesthesiologists Week in Georgia through a Senate resolution. - Commends physician anesthesiologists for their role in patient safety during and after surgery and in pain medicine. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, the public, and the press. - Creates no new statutory requirements, funding, or penalties, functioning purely as a symbolic recognition. ### Who it affects Physician anesthesiologists practicing in Georgia and the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, which will receive copies of the resolution. The general public and press are also named as recipients, though the resolution imposes no obligations on them. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal or financial effect on Georgians. Its practical impact is symbolic: it publicly acknowledges the training and responsibilities of physician anesthesiologists and formally distributes that recognition to their professional association and the press. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes January 25-31, 2026 as Physician Anesthesiologists Week in Georgia and commends physician anesthesiologists for their work. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists, the public, and the press. - Several 'whereas' clauses describe physician anesthesiologists' training (12 to 14 years of education and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of training) and their role in the Anesthesia Care Team model. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-01-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-01-28) - Sponsors: Chuck Hufstetler, Ben Watson, Kay Kirkpatrick, Donzella James, Nan Orrock - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72405 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr609.md?full=1