--- title: SR 703. Phommasan, Phra Ajarn Maha Dam; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr703 cite_as: SR 703, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr703 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr703.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr703/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72868 date: 2026-02-05 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/sr702.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr703.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 703 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-05 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sheikh Rahman - Tonya Anderson - David Lucas - Ed Harbison - Sally Harrell - Matt Brass text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR703/2025 upstream_id: 2108057 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Senate resolution - Gwinnett County - Buddhist community - Snellville --- # SR 703. Phommasan, Phra Ajarn Maha Dam; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 703 By: Senators Rahman of the 5th, Anderson of the 43rd, Lucas of the 26th, Harbison of the 15th, Harrell of the 40th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan is a distinguished spiritual luminary who has served Gwinnettians with devotion at the Wat Lao Buddha Khanti Temple in Snellville, promoting the virtues of peace, benevolence, and compassion; and WHEREAS, Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan has devoted his time and talent to serving multiple establishments throughout the metro Atlanta community, including Wat Lao Buddha Khanti, where he serves as a mentor to both elders and youth by providing meditation sessions and Buddhist teachings; and WHEREAS, through his compassionate stewardship and tireless volunteerism, he has empowered the local community and provided a source of wisdom and stability for those seeking spiritual enrichment and growth; and WHEREAS, in an effort to spread hope and mindfulness across the United States, he embarked on a noble 2,300-mile "Walk for Peace" pilgrimage alongside fellow monks in November 2025; and WHEREAS, On November 19, 2025, he was struck by a vehicle and injured during the walk, an ordeal he has faced with an indomitable spirit; and WHEREAS, Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan's resilience in the face of such hardship serves as an example of perseverance for our community and provides a powerful example of faith in action. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan and extend their sincere best wishes for his recovery as well as future health and happiness. 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 Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan. ## 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 Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan, a Buddhist monk who serves the Snellville area, and wishes him a full recovery after he was struck by a vehicle during a peace walk. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan, a spiritual leader at the Wat Lao Buddha Khanti Temple in Snellville, for his work mentoring elders and youth and leading meditation and Buddhist teaching sessions in the metro Atlanta community. The resolution also notes that in November 2025 he took part in a 2,300 mile 'Walk for Peace' pilgrimage with other monks, during which he was struck by a vehicle and injured on November 19, 2025. The Senate formally commends him and wishes him well in his recovery. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for him, but it creates no new rules, funding, or legal requirements. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan for his community and spiritual work in the Senate's own words. - Extends the Senate's official best wishes for his recovery after a vehicle struck him during a peace walk in November 2025. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to him. - Creates no new law, funding, or enforceable requirement, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan, a monk at the Wat Lao Buddha Khanti Temple in Snellville, and reflects on the Gwinnett County Buddhist and broader metro Atlanta community he serves. It does not impose obligations on any other group. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect and changes no Georgia law, but it gives official recognition from the state Senate to a local religious leader's community service and his recovery from an injury, which can carry symbolic and personal significance for him and his congregation. ### Key provisions - The preamble recites Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan's service at Wat Lao Buddha Khanti Temple and his role mentoring elders and youth through meditation and teaching. - The preamble describes his 2,300 mile 'Walk for Peace' pilgrimage in November 2025 and the vehicle collision that injured him on November 19, 2025. - The resolving clause has the Senate recognize and commend him and extend wishes for his recovery, health, and happiness. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to him. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-05) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-05) - Sponsors: Sheikh Rahman, Tonya Anderson, David Lucas, Ed Harbison, Sally Harrell, Matt Brass - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72868 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr703.md?full=1