Georgia CommonsSR 871: Rice, Dr. Valerie Montgomery; recognize
Last action February 26, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of the Morehouse School of Medicine, for her leadership, medical career, and work on health equity.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate honoring Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, the first woman to lead the Morehouse School of Medicine as its president and CEO. It recounts her education at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School, her medical training at Emory University and Hutzel Hospital, and her prior roles including dean at Morehouse and founding director of a women's health research center at Meharry Medical College. The resolution highlights her advocacy for health equity, her service on national boards including the National Academy of Medicine, and awards she has received. It closes by directing the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. The document creates no new law, funding, or requirement; it is a formal recognition passed by the Senate.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and commends Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice for her leadership at the Morehouse School of Medicine and her career in medicine and research.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to Dr. Montgomery Rice.
- Creates no statutory changes, funding, or legal obligations; it is a ceremonial statement of the Senate's position.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice and the Morehouse School of Medicine. It has no regulatory or financial effect on other Georgians, agencies, or institutions.
Why it matters
This is a symbolic honor rather than a policy change. It carries no legal effect on Georgians generally, but it formally records the Senate's recognition of Dr. Montgomery Rice's career and contributions to medicine and health equity in the official legislative record.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses detail Dr. Montgomery Rice's education, career history, and honors.
- The first resolving clause has the Senate recognize and commend her for her leadership and contributions to medicine and health equity.
- The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to her.
From the bill
“the first woman in history to lead the freestanding medical institution, bringing to her role a unique combination of excellence in patient care, medical research, organizational management, and public health policy”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
- Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
Topics
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- health equity
- Georgia Senate resolution
- medical education