Georgia legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Georgia HR1797: Grady Memorial Hospital; rename to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; urge
Status: In committee, March 23, 2026
A RESOLUTION urging for the renaming of Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; and for other purposes.
What the bill says
A resolution Urging for the renaming of Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; and for other purposes.
From the introduced text:
A RESOLUTION Urging for the renaming of Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Grady Memorial Hospital has long stood as one of Georgia's most significant public healthcare institutions, serving generations of Atlantans and residents across the state; and WHEREAS, the hospital is named in honor of Henry Grady, a historical figure who, while influential in shaping the "New South" narrative, was also documented as an outspoken white supremacist whose public speeches and writings promoted racial hierarchy and opposed Black political and social equality; and WHEREAS, numerous institutions across the nation have set a precedent by reevaluating and, where appropriate, removing the names of historical figures whose legacies are rooted in racism and exclusion in order to better reflect contemporary values of equity, dignity, and justice; and H. R. 1797 LC 112 3837 WHEREAS, Dr. Roy Charles Bell Sr. was one of Atlanta's first Black dentists, a respected civic leader, and a courageous civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in advancing healthcare equity; and WHEREAS, Dr. Bell led the legal effort that forced the desegregation of Grady Memorial Hospital through the landmark 1962 United States Supreme Court ruling in Bell v. Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, which held that public hospitals receiving federal funds could not lawfully operate on a segregated basis; and WHEREAS, this …
Sponsors
- Eric Bell (D) · primary sponsor
- Cannon, Park (D, 58)
- Carl Gilliard (D, 162)
- Al Williams (D, 168)
- Edna Jackson (D, 165)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, 141)
Latest actions
- : House Second Readers
- : House First Readers
- : House Hopper
Common questions
- What is HR1797?
- HR1797 is a bill in the Georgia Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): Grady Memorial Hospital; rename to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; urge.
- What does HR1797 do?
- In its own words: A resolution Urging for the renaming of Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; and for other purposes.
- What is the status of HR1797?
- In committee as of March 23, 2026. Latest action: House Second Readers (March 23, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR1797?
- Eric Bell (D), with 5 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HR1797?
- On the Georgia Legislature website: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74277
Source: official Georgia record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.