--- title: SR 704. Raising Expectations; congratulate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr704 cite_as: SR 704, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72869 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/sr703.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr705.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 704 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: - Sonya Halpern - Nan Orrock - RaShaun Kemp - Josh McLaurin - Harold Jones - Billy Hickman - Jaha Howard text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR704/2025 upstream_id: 2108190 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - legislative resolution - youth programs - Atlanta nonprofits - community service recognition --- # SR 704. Raising Expectations; congratulate ## Text Senate Resolution 704 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Orrock of the 36th, Kemp of the 38th, McLaurin of the 14th, Jones II of the 22nd and others A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending Raising Expectations; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Raising Expectations will be celebrating 30 years of dedicated community service, empowering and supporting youth facing significant systemic and economic challenges; and WHEREAS, under the guiding hand and sustained leadership of co-founders Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen, this outstanding non-profit organization has served over 3,500 youth, all of whom qualify for free or reduced price meals and are first-generation college students; and WHEREAS, Raising Expectations delivers a comprehensive continuum of academic, leadership, and college-to-career programming designed to support students over multiple years and through key life transitions; and WHEREAS, Raising Expectations’ core programing focuses on sustained, month-by-month engagement, following students from middle school through college and transition into the workforce; and WHEREAS, in addition to core programs, Raising Expectations offers enrichment initiatives including the Summer Pathfinder Workforce Programs, the Real Estate Enrichment Program, Take a Student to College Day, and literacy programs, expanding access to experiences and opportunities often unavailable to students from under-resourced communities; and WHEREAS, this remarkable organization's work strengthens not only individual students, but families, neighborhoods, and the broader Atlanta community; and WHEREAS, Raising Expectations' legacy is defined by its belief in what is possible when youth are met with consistency, care, and high expectations—and by its continued commitment to fueling the future, one student at a time. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body congratulate Raising Expectations upon 30 years of impact, commend it for its many outstanding contributions on behalf of the citizens of Georgia, and extend best wishes for its continued growth, development, and success. 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 Raising Expectations. ## 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 congratulates Raising Expectations, an Atlanta nonprofit, on 30 years of service supporting youth from under-resourced communities. ### Plain-language summary This Senate resolution honors Raising Expectations, a nonprofit co-founded by Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen, as it marks 30 years of community service. The resolution describes the organization's work serving more than 3,500 youth, all of whom qualify for free or reduced price meals and are first-generation college students, through academic, leadership, and college-to-career programs that follow students from middle school through college and into the workforce. The resolution also notes enrichment programs such as the Summer Pathfinder Workforce Programs, the Real Estate Enrichment Program, Take a Student to College Day, and literacy initiatives. It does not create any new law, funding, or requirement. It simply has the Senate formally congratulate the organization and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send it a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends Raising Expectations on 30 years of community service to youth. - Recites the organization's history, programs, and impact on students and the Atlanta community. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Raising Expectations. - Creates no new law, funding, or ongoing legal obligation; it is a ceremonial statement by the Senate. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names Raising Expectations, its co-founders Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen, and the youth and families it serves. It has no legal effect on the general public, government agencies, or other organizations. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical or legal effect on Georgians outside of a formal, public acknowledgment. Its significance is symbolic: it places the Senate's recognition of Raising Expectations' work on the official record. ### Key provisions - The resolution's recitals describe Raising Expectations' 30-year history, its co-founders, and the youth it has served. - The resolved clause has the Senate congratulate and commend the organization and wish it continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to the organization. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-05) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-05) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Nan Orrock, RaShaun Kemp, Josh McLaurin, Harold Jones, Billy Hickman, Jaha Howard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72869 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr704.md?full=1