--- title: SR 636. Civil Air Patrol; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr636 cite_as: SR 636, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr636 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr636.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr636/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72498 date: 2026-01-29 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/sr635.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr637.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr636.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 636 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-29 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Marty Harbin - Ricky Williams - Greg Dolezal - Nikki Merritt - Kenya Wicks - Sam Watson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR636/2025 upstream_id: 2100289 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Civil Air Patrol - disaster relief - volunteer recognition - emergency services - Georgia Senate resolution --- # SR 636. Civil Air Patrol; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 636 By: Senators Harbin of the 16th, Williams of the 25th, Dolezal of the 27th, Merritt of the 9th, Wicks of the 34th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing the Civil Air Patrol for their service to the citizens of Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Civil Air Patrol was founded on December 1, 1941, as an organization of volunteers meant to assist the United States military in national defense by performing aerial coastal patrols and emergency services within the continental United States; and WHEREAS, in 1943, the capabilities of this new volunteer organization were recognized as vital to national defense, and by Presidential Executive Order, the Civil Air Patrol was assigned to the War Department and subsequently designated by Congress on May 26, 1948, as the official auxiliary to the United States Air Force to perform three distinct missions: emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs; and WHEREAS, Civil Air Patrol’s association with the United States Air Force in performing these “Missions for America” as part of the United States Air Force's Total Force; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Wing of Civil Air Patrol consists of almost 2,000 volunteer members in 44 squadrons and six groups located throughout this state; and WHEREAS, Georgia Wing members received national recognition in 2021 by receiving the Crisis Service Award for their efforts to support Georgia's communities during the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, Georgia Wing members, as an intricate component of our national defense, volunteer their services, time, and resources to actively support Civil Air Patrol by conducting missions in homeland security, disaster relief, and emergency services, search and rescue, counter drug, aerospace education, and cadet programs, heavily supporting hurricane relief efforts for Helene and Milton by providing FEMA and GEMA with thousands of aerial images and conducting "Sundown Patrols" in South Georgia; and WHEREAS, the estimated value of the Georgia Wing members' volunteer hours in 2024 was in excess of $7.6 million; and WHEREAS, these “flying minutemen” of the Civil Air Patrol have, since its inception, consistently provided this state with invaluable emergency services, serving America's communities, saving lives, and shaping futures. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize the selfless contributions that the volunteers of the Civil Air Patrol have made to the State of Georgia. 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 the Georgia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. ## 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 formally recognizes the Civil Air Patrol's Georgia Wing for its volunteer service, including disaster relief and search and rescue work across the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate honoring the Civil Air Patrol, a national volunteer organization that serves as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The resolution recounts the group's history since 1941 and highlights the Georgia Wing, which has nearly 2,000 volunteer members across 44 squadrons and six groups statewide. The text notes the Georgia Wing's 2021 national Crisis Service Award for COVID-19 pandemic support and its recent work aiding FEMA and GEMA with aerial imagery during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with search and rescue and aerospace education programs. It states the Georgia Wing's 2024 volunteer hours were valued at more than $7.6 million. The Senate formally resolves to recognize these contributions and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the Georgia Wing. ### What it does - Formally recognizes the Civil Air Patrol's Georgia Wing volunteers for their service to Georgia communities. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the Georgia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute; it is a ceremonial statement of appreciation with no binding legal effect. ### Who it affects The Civil Air Patrol's Georgia Wing and its nearly 2,000 volunteer members are directly named and honored. The resolution also references FEMA, GEMA, and Georgia communities that received disaster relief and emergency services support from the organization. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or funding consequences, it gives official state recognition to a volunteer organization that provides search and rescue, disaster imagery, and emergency services support to Georgia during events like hurricanes Helene and Milton. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the Civil Air Patrol's founding in 1941 and its 1948 designation as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. - The text states the Georgia Wing has almost 2,000 volunteer members in 44 squadrons and six groups statewide. - The resolution cites the Georgia Wing's 2021 Crisis Service Award and its aerial imagery support to FEMA and GEMA during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. - The resolution states the estimated value of Georgia Wing volunteer hours in 2024 exceeded $7.6 million. - The final resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available to the Georgia Wing. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-29) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-29) - Sponsors: Marty Harbin, Ricky Williams, Greg Dolezal, Nikki Merritt, Kenya Wicks, Sam Watson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72498 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr636.md?full=1