--- title: SR 741. New Americans Day; recognize February 12, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr741 cite_as: SR 741, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr741 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr741.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr741/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73033 date: 2026-02-10 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/sr740.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr742.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr741.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 741 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-10 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Brian Strickland - Jason Anavitarte - Bo Hatchett - Ben Watson - Timothy Bearden - Sam Watson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR741/2025 upstream_id: 2112256 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - immigration - New Americans Day - state capitol ceremonies - Georgia Senate resolutions --- # SR 741. New Americans Day; recognize February 12, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 741 By: Senators Strickland of the 42nd, Anavitarte of the 31st, Hatchett of the 50th, Watson of the 1st, Bearden of the 30th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, for the past 13 years, New Americans Day celebrations have brought hundreds of new Americans, friends, and community supporters to the state capitol annually for a day of education and celebration; and WHEREAS, Georgia has a long history of extending welcome to new Americans from around the world, giving them an opportunity to live, work, and thrive in this state; and WHEREAS, today, 11 percent of Georgians—more than 1.2 million people—are foreign- born, bringing valuable skills and talents from countries around the world to the state; and WHEREAS, foreign-born Georgians contribute $15.8 billion in federal, state, and local taxes annually and represent over $44 billion in spending power; and WHEREAS, approximately one in seven Georgia workers is foreign-born, and are twice as likely to fill high-demand roles such as home health aides, physicians, and surgeons as U.S.-born workers; and WHEREAS, foreign-born Georgians are 41 percent more likely than others to start new businesses in the state, accounting for more than 20 percent of entrepreneurs in the state and generating more than $3.4 billion in business income annually; and WHEREAS, Georgia has provided refuge to thousands and granted humanitarian parole to escape other countries and come safely to the United States, including many who risked their lives to support the United States' mission overseas; and WHEREAS, Georgia has one of the oldest and most successful refugee programs in the United States, with approximately 90 percent of refugees economically self-sufficient within six months; and WHEREAS, Georgia is a welcoming home for peoples of all origins and from all walks of life, and it is abundantly fitting and proper that these new Americans be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend the manifold contributions of immigrants to the State of Georgia and recognize February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 designates February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol, honoring immigrants' contributions to the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol, continuing a celebration that has been held annually for 13 years. The resolution lists a series of statements about foreign-born Georgians, including population figures, tax contributions, business ownership rates, and refugee resettlement success rates. The Senate resolves that its members commend the contributions of immigrants to Georgia and recognize the date as New Americans Day. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and the press. As a resolution rather than a bill, it carries symbolic and ceremonial weight but does not create, amend, or repeal any statute. ### What it does - Formally recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol. - Has the Senate commend the contributions of immigrants to the State of Georgia through a formal statement. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. - Makes no changes to Georgia statutes, funding, or agency rules; it is a ceremonial declaration only. ### Who it affects The resolution most directly concerns foreign-born Georgians and immigrant communities, whose contributions it commends. It also involves the Georgia Senate and the Secretary of the Senate, who is tasked with distributing copies of the resolution. ### Why it matters While the resolution does not alter any law or provide funding, it gives official state recognition to New Americans Day, an annual event at the capitol, and publicly acknowledges the economic and civic contributions of foreign-born residents in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes February 12, 2026, as New Americans Day at the state capitol and commends immigrants' contributions to Georgia. - A further resolution clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available for distribution to the public and the press. - The preamble cites statistics such as 11 percent of Georgians being foreign-born and foreign-born residents contributing $15.8 billion in taxes annually, though these are background statements rather than enacted law. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-10) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-10) - Sponsors: Brian Strickland, Jason Anavitarte, Bo Hatchett, Ben Watson, Timothy Bearden, Sam Watson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73033 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr741.md?full=1