Georgia House Bill HR1797

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26

Caption

Grady Memorial Hospital; rename to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; urge

Summary

House Resolution 1797 is a nonbinding resolution urging the appropriate governing authorities to rename Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital. The resolution explains that Grady Memorial Hospital is a major public healthcare institution, but that its namesake, Henry Grady, was associated with white supremacist views and racial hierarchy. It argues that the hospital should instead honor Dr. Roy Charles Bell Sr., one of Atlanta’s first Black dentists and a civil rights leader. The resolution highlights Dr. Bell’s role in the legal effort that led to the desegregation of Grady Memorial Hospital, including the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court case Bell v. Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority. It frames the proposed renaming as a way to preserve historical continuity while better reflecting values of equity, dignity, justice, and access to care. The measure also directs the House Clerk to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

Impact

Because HR1797 is a resolution rather than a statute, it does not itself change Georgia law, create legal duties, or alter hospital governance. Its practical effect is advisory: it urges the hospital’s governing authorities to take steps to rename the facility and publicly recognizes Dr. Bell’s legacy. If acted upon by the relevant authorities, the change would affect the hospital’s official name, signage, branding, and public references, but any actual renaming would require separate action by the institution or other governing bodies.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly supportive of the renaming effort and celebratory of Dr. Roy Charles Bell Sr.’s civil rights legacy. The bill text presents the proposal as a corrective measure that aligns the hospital’s name with modern values and honors a figure associated with desegregation and healthcare equity. No committee debate or recorded votes were provided, so there is no additional evidence of opposition or divided sentiment in the available materials.

Contention

The main point of contention is the historical legacy of Henry Grady, whose name the hospital currently bears. The resolution emphasizes that Grady was an influential figure but also a documented white supremacist, making his commemoration controversial. The proposal implicitly contrasts that legacy with Dr. Bell’s role in ending segregation at the hospital, suggesting that supporters view the renaming as both symbolic justice and an appropriate recognition of local civil rights history. No specific opponents or counterarguments are included in the provided record.