--- title: SR 83. Morehouse School of Medicine; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr83 cite_as: SR 83, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr83 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr83.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr83/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69752 date: 2025-02-03 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/sr82.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr84.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr83.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 83 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-03 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Matt Brass - Tonya Anderson - Blake Tillery - Clint Dixon - Kay Kirkpatrick - Ed Harbison - Ben Watson - Michael Rhett - Nikki Merritt - Shawn Still - Mike Hodges - Billy Hickman - Sonya Halpern - Randy Robertson - Freddie Sims - Kenya Wicks - Colton Moore - Jason Anavitarte - Larry Walker - Drew Echols - Russ Goodman - David Lucas - John Kennedy - Bill Cowsert - Gail Davenport - Ricky Williams text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR83/2025 upstream_id: 1949649 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Morehouse School of Medicine - medical education - Georgia Senate resolution - healthcare workforce --- # SR 83. Morehouse School of Medicine; commend ## Text Senate Resolution 83 By: Senators Brass of the 6th, Anderson of the 43rd, Tillery of the 19th, Dixon of the 45th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others A RESOLUTION Commending Morehouse School of Medicine upon its 50th anniversary; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Dr. Louis Brown, an internal medicine physician in Atlanta, proposed the idea for a new medical school to the presidents of the Atlanta University Center schools in 1969; and WHEREAS, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation supported a feasibility study to investigate the idea for a new medical school, and then Morehouse College President Dr. Hugh M. Gloster expressed interest in establishing a medical school at the college; and WHEREAS, in 1975, Morehouse College recruited Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, a Morehouse graduate, to serve as the first president and academic dean of the Medical Education Program at Morehouse College, with a vision to diversify the healthcare workforce and provide primary healthcare in underserved rural and urban communities; and WHEREAS, in 1977, the State of Georgia appropriated $1 million as a state operating grant to support the operations of the new program at Morehouse College; and WHEREAS, Morehouse School of Medicine began in a single trailer on the campus of Morehouse College in the summer of 1978 with an inaugural class of 24 students in its two-year medical sciences program, allowing students to transfer to four-year institutions to complete their education; and WHEREAS, the medical school was incorporated in Georgia in 1980, officially became an independent institution in 1981, and established a four-year medical school in 1985 as the Morehouse School of Medicine; and WHEREAS, 3,283 students, including 1,867 physicians, have graduated from Morehouse School of Medicine, and approximately 60 percent of the MD graduates who have completed residency are practicing in Georgia; and WHEREAS, Morehouse School of Medicine has significantly expanded its physical footprint, academic programs, research initiatives, and physician class size under the leadership of its first and only woman President and CEO, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly proper and fitting that the accomplishments of this distinguished Georgia institution be appropriately recognized on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend Morehouse School of Medicine upon its 50th anniversary celebration in the State of Georgia, without which students would not have access to quality education, research would not have been conducted, and healthcare access would not have expanded as broadly across the state. 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 Morehouse School of Medicine. ## 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 Senate resolution commends Morehouse School of Medicine on its 50th anniversary, recognizing the Atlanta institution's history and impact on medical education and healthcare access in Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a law that changes anyone's rights or obligations. It recounts the history of Morehouse School of Medicine, from its origins as an idea proposed by Dr. Louis Brown in 1969 through its founding as a two-year program at Morehouse College in 1978, its independence in 1981, and its growth into a four-year medical school by 1985. The resolution notes that the school has graduated 3,283 students, including 1,867 physicians, with about 60 percent of MD graduates who finished residency now practicing in Georgia. The Senate formally commends the school on its 50th anniversary and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the school as a keepsake. ### What it does - Formally commends Morehouse School of Medicine on the occasion of its 50th anniversary in Georgia. - Recites the school's history, including its 1978 founding, 1981 independence, and 1985 establishment as a four-year medical school. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Morehouse School of Medicine. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is purely a commendation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Morehouse School of Medicine and its leadership, including President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. It also references the school's students, graduates, and the Georgia communities served by its physicians, though it imposes no obligations on any of them. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendation rather than a law, it does not change any rights, funding, or rules. Its practical effect is symbolic: it places the Georgia Senate's formal recognition of the medical school's 50-year history and workforce impact on the public record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses trace the school's history from a 1969 proposal to its founding in 1978 and full accreditation as a four-year school in 1985. - The resolution states that 3,283 students, including 1,867 physicians, have graduated, with about 60 percent of MD graduates in residency practicing in Georgia. - The resolving clause formally commends the school on its 50th anniversary. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Morehouse School of Medicine. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-03) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-03) - Sponsors: Matt Brass, Tonya Anderson, Blake Tillery, Clint Dixon, Kay Kirkpatrick, Ed Harbison, Ben Watson, Michael Rhett, Nikki Merritt, Shawn Still, Mike Hodges, Billy Hickman, Sonya Halpern, Randy Robertson, Freddie Sims, Kenya Wicks, Colton Moore, Jason Anavitarte, Larry Walker, Drew Echols, Russ Goodman, David Lucas, John Kennedy, Bill Cowsert, Gail Davenport, Ricky Williams - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69752 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr83.md?full=1