Georgia CommonsSR 963: Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; commend
Last action March 18, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution commends Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its staff for their care of premature and medically complex newborns.
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 is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It praises the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center for the care it provides to premature and medically fragile newborns, citing statistics about premature birth rates and improving survival outcomes for very early or low birth weight infants. The resolution formally states that the Senate commends the NICU and its healthcare professionals, including neonatologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pediatric specialists, for their work. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the NICU as a token of recognition. It does not create any new requirement, funding, or legal change.
What the bill does
- Formally commends Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its healthcare staff on behalf of the Georgia Senate.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the NICU.
- Makes no change to Georgia law, funding, or regulations since it is a commendatory resolution rather than legislation.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its neonatologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pediatric specialists. It has no legal effect on the broader public, hospitals generally, or state agencies.
Why it matters
The resolution has no legal or financial effect on Georgians. Its significance is symbolic: it publicly recognizes a specific hospital unit and its staff for their work caring for premature and medically complex newborns in the state.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses describe the NICU's Level III designation, its staffing, and national statistics on premature birth and survival rates.
- The first resolving clause has the Senate commend the NICU and its healthcare professionals for their service to premature infants.
- The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to the NICU.
From the bill
“the Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center currently operates a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) designed to care for premature and medically complex newborns through advanced respiratory support, continuous monitoring, and life-saving interventions”
“the members of this body commend the Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its committed healthcare professionals for their service on behalf of this state's premature infants”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
- John Albers (R, SD-056)
- Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
- Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
Topics
- neonatal care
- hospital recognition
- Wellstar Kennestone
- Georgia Senate resolution
- premature infants