--- title: SR 618. Charles, Orson; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr618 cite_as: SR 618, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr618 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr618.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr618/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72462 date: 2026-01-28 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/sr617.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr619.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr618.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 618 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-28 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Kenya Wicks - RaShaun Kemp - Donzella James - Jaha Howard - Harold Jones text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR618/2025 upstream_id: 2095216 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Georgia Senate honors - NFL players - community philanthropy --- # SR 618. Charles, Orson; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 618 By: Senators Wicks of the 34th, Kemp of the 38th, James of the 28th, Howard of the 35th and Jones II of the 22nd A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Orson Charles; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Orson Charles is a distinguished former NFL player, known for his exceptional dedication, perseverance, and commitment to community; and WHEREAS, Orson Charles utilizes his platform, and the experiences of his youth, as a way to encourage others to overcome adversity, be resilient, and become a leader both on and off the field; and WHEREAS, in addition to a monumental NFL career with teams including the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Orson Charles is a passionate community leader, real estate builder and developer, philanthropist, speaker, and entrepreneur; and WHEREAS, his passion off the field is fueled by the Orson Charles Family Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering and equipping communities for lasting impact; and WHEREAS, the foundation aspires to address the needs of single-parent households and low-income families by constructing multi-family complexes, providing essential assistance, and spearheading initiatives aimed at supporting fatherless youth, including providing financial literacy education, organizing football camps, as well as offering mentoring and access to support networks; and WHEREAS, Orson Charles has given inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and he possesses the vast wisdom which only comes through experience and the strength of character which is achieved through overcoming the many challenges of life; and WHEREAS, Orson Charles’s legacy continues to inspire many, both in the realm of sports and within the broader community; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished athlete and community leader be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Orson Charles for his unwavering commitment to the betterment of his community, state, and sport. 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 Orson Charles. ## 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 former NFL player Orson Charles for his football career and his community and philanthropic work through his family foundation. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Orson Charles, a former NFL player who played for teams including the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs, for his athletic career and his work as a real estate developer, philanthropist, speaker, and entrepreneur. The resolution highlights the Orson Charles Family Foundation, which the text says works to support single-parent households and low-income families through building multi-family housing, financial literacy education, football camps, and mentoring for fatherless youth. The Senate directs its Secretary to prepare a copy of the resolution for Charles, but the measure creates no new rights, funding, or legal requirements. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Orson Charles for his NFL career and community work. - States the Senate's praise for the Orson Charles Family Foundation's work with single-parent and low-income families. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Orson Charles. - Creates no new law, funding, or enforceable obligations, as is typical for a commendation resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Orson Charles and references his family foundation. It has no legal effect on other Georgians, businesses, or government agencies beyond directing the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the document. ### Why it matters This is a symbolic honor rather than a policy change. It has no direct effect on state law, funding, or Georgians' daily lives, though it publicly documents the Senate's recognition of Charles's athletic career and philanthropic work in the state's official record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Orson Charles's NFL career and his current work as a developer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. - The whereas clauses describe the Orson Charles Family Foundation's mission to help single-parent households, low-income families, and fatherless youth. - The resolving clause formally commends Charles for his commitment to his community, state, and sport. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to Orson Charles. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-28) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-28) - Sponsors: Kenya Wicks, RaShaun Kemp, Donzella James, Jaha Howard, Harold Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72462 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr618.md?full=1