--- title: SR 706. Hembree, Bill; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr706 cite_as: SR 706, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr706 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr706.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr706/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72871 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/sr705.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr707.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr706.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 706 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: - Timothy Bearden - Matt Brass - Jason Anavitarte text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR706/2025 upstream_id: 2108166 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Senate resolution - Bill Hembree - legislator tribute - condolence resolution --- # SR 706. Hembree, Bill; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 706 By: Senators Bearden of the 30th, Brass of the 6th and Anavitarte of the 31st A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Bill Hembree; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Bill Hembree on January 15, 2026; and WHEREAS, Bill Hembree was born on March 8, 1966, in Villa Rica, Georgia, a beloved son of Herman Aubrey Hembree and Monta Raye Buchanan Hembree; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Beth, and was blessed with three remarkable children, Will, Thomas, and Miles; and WHEREAS, a 1984 graduate of Douglas County High School, Bill served as State DECA President during his senior year and went on to serve as National DECA President, demonstrating exceptional leadership at an early age; and WHEREAS, he was a lifelong learner with a global perspective, studying at the University of Oslo in Norway, participating in Semester at Sea through the University of Pittsburgh, and serving as a Rotary Scholar in Scotland; and WHEREAS, in 2000, Bill founded Hembree Insurance Agency and grew it into a successful three-office business over two decades, built on principles of integrity, service, and community trust; and WHEREAS, Representative Bill Hembree faithfully served with the Georgia House of Representatives from 1992-2012, holding distinguished roles including Chairman of Higher Education and Chairman of the Rules Committee, where he worked tirelessly to improve Georgia's higher education system and honorably served the citizens of Georgia; and WHEREAS, in 2024, Bill and his wife Beth established the Bill Hembree Scholarship with the National DECA Program to support and encourage future student leaders, continuing his lifelong dedication to education and leadership development; and WHEREAS, he gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Bill Hembree will long be remembered for his visionary leadership, commitment to public service, love of learning, and enduring impact on the State of Georgia and the many lives he touched. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Bill Hembree 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 Bill Hembree. ## 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 life of Bill Hembree, a former state representative and Douglas County businessman who died on January 15, 2026. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate marking the death of Bill Hembree, who represented Georgia in the House of Representatives from 1992 to 2012, chairing the Higher Education and Rules Committees. It recounts his life story: born in Villa Rica in 1966, his education and leadership through DECA, his founding of Hembree Insurance Agency in 2000, and the scholarship he and his wife established with the National DECA Program in 2024. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally expresses the Senate's condolences to Hembree's family and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send them an official copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of former state representative Bill Hembree. - Recites biographical details of Hembree's life, education, business career, and legislative service. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Hembree's family. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the family of Bill Hembree, who will receive an official copy, and serves as a formal record for the Georgia Senate and the public regarding his life and service in the General Assembly. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect, it provides an official, lasting public record honoring a former legislator's decades of service and creates a formal gesture of sympathy for his family from the state government. ### Key provisions - The resolution's preamble (whereas clauses) details Hembree's birth, family, education, DECA leadership, business founding, and House service from 1992 to 2012. - The first resolving clause has the Senate join in honoring Hembree's life and express regret at his passing. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-05) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-05) - Sponsors: Timothy Bearden, Matt Brass, Jason Anavitarte - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72871 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr706.md?full=1