--- title: SR 679. Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day; recognize February 17, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr679 cite_as: SR 679, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr679 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr679.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr679/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72723 date: 2026-02-03 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/sr678.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr680.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr679.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 679 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-03 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Emanuel Jones - Kim Jackson - RaShaun Kemp - Kenya Wicks - Randal Mangham - Gail Davenport - Sonya Halpern - Elena Parent - Tonya Anderson - Jaha Howard - Nikki Merritt text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR679/2025 upstream_id: 2104419 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Georgia Senate resolutions - commemorative days - Albany Georgia --- # SR 679. Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day; recognize February 17, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 679 By: Senators Jones of the 10th, Jackson of the 41st, Kemp of the 38th, Wicks of the 34th, Mangham of the 55th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Bishop William "Bill" Harris and recognizing February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Bishop William "Bill" Harris on December 9, 2025; and WHEREAS, Bishop William "Bill" Harris was born on February 1, 1943, in Albany, Georgia, a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, community leader, and civil rights activist; and WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Bishop William Harris was called to ministry in 1977 and is the founder and retired pastor of Bethel Church Ministries, Inc., in Monroe, Georgia; and WHEREAS, he served as Dean of Ministers for the Northern Diocese for nine years, was appointed State Evangelist for the Northern Diocese Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ in 1993, and was appointed as Chaplain for the Regional 7th District of Alabama and Georgia for the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc; and WHEREAS, Bishop Harris also served as a field worker for the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and was a founding member of the Atlanta SCLC chapter; and WHEREAS, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, Bishop Harris worked with and marched alongside his friends and fellow civil rights family, the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Hosea Williams, Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, and other pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement; and WHEREAS, Bishop Harris is intimately familiar with the struggles, suffering, and injustices endured by the African American people during the 1960s, as he himself was beaten and jailed and had police dogs attack him during the protests; and WHEREAS, he was an original member of The Freedom singers for justice, and went into cities before rallies and marches to inspire protesters and workers through song; and WHEREAS, he was instrumental in the Mississippi March, participated in the Moore’s Ford Bridge March, and stood alongside his good friend Rev. Hosea Williams when he led the protests in Bishop Harris’s hometown of, Albany, Georgia, to organize the voter registration and desegregation efforts; and WHEREAS, Bishop Harris is one of the co-founders of the Veterans Civil Rights Movement Organization SCLC Atlanta affiliated chapter and was the Chaplin for The Georgia Conference of African American Mayors; and WHEREAS, in the late 60s and early 70s Bishop Harris was a recording artist with Emory and The Dynamics, and performed and toured with such artists as Jerry Butler, Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, The Impressions, David Ruffin, Little Richard , The Temptations, Mitty Collier, The Jackson 5, and many others; and WHEREAS, up until his earthly transition, Bishop Harris continued to travel around the country speaking to the younger generations, educating them on the history of the civil rights movement and participating in local protests and civil rights activities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Bishop William "Bill" Harris; recognize February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day; and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. 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 family of Bishop William "Bill" Harris. ## 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 the late Bishop William "Bill" Harris, a civil rights activist and pastor, and designates February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day. ### Plain-language summary This Senate resolution recognizes the life of Bishop William "Bill" Harris, who died on December 9, 2025. Harris was born in Albany, Georgia, became a pastor and church leader, and worked as a civil rights activist in the 1960s alongside figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, and Rev. Hosea Williams. He also had a career as a recording artist and performer. The resolution formally designates February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day in Georgia and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to his family. It does not change any Georgia law; it is a ceremonial statement by the Senate expressing condolences and recognition. ### What it does - Formally recognizes February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day in Georgia. - Expresses the Senate's condolences over the death of Bishop Harris and honors his life and legacy. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Harris's family. ### Who it affects The resolution most directly affects the family of Bishop William "Bill" Harris, who will receive a copy of it. It also reflects recognition by the Georgia Senate of his role in the civil rights movement and his religious ministry work. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect, it provides an official state acknowledgment of Bishop Harris's civil rights activism and religious leadership, offering his family and community a formal public tribute recorded in Georgia's legislative record. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Bishop Harris's biography, ministry work, and civil rights activism, including his time with SNCC and SCLC. - The resolved clause formally designates February 17, 2026, as Bishop William "Bill" Harris Day. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to Harris's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-03) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-03) - Sponsors: Emanuel Jones, Kim Jackson, RaShaun Kemp, Kenya Wicks, Randal Mangham, Gail Davenport, Sonya Halpern, Elena Parent, Tonya Anderson, Jaha Howard, Nikki Merritt - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72723 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr679.md?full=1