HB 361 LC 21 5245
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1- 1 To amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official
1- 2 Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state symbols, so as
1- 3 to designate the Southeastern Railway Museum as the official
1- 4 state transportation history museum; to repeal conflicting
1- 5 laws; and for other purposes.
1- 6 WHEREAS, tourism and commercial recreation constitute an
1- 7 important industry in the economy of Georgia; and
1- 8 WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has recognized the importance
1- 9 of tourism to the economic and cultural well-being of its
1-10 people through the establishment of the Department of
1-11 Industry, Trade, and Tourism; and
1-12 WHEREAS, many groups in the state are working to improve the
1-13 quality of recreational and history related experiences for
1-14 Georgia residents and for out-of-state tourists as well; and
1-15 WHEREAS, enhancement of tourist attractions in Georgia would
1-16 encourage tourists to extend their stay in Georgia and would
1-17 benefit the state; and
1-18 WHEREAS, the Southeastern Railway Museum located in Duluth
1-19 (Gwinnett County), Georgia, has one of the most notable
1-20 collections of transportation equipment in the country,
1-21 including a 1906 City of Atlanta horse-drawn and
1-22 steam-powered fire engine, a Georgia Power streetcar, and a
1-23 Georgia Power “trackless trolley” exemplifying intra-city
1-24 transportation used in all major Georgia cities during the
1-25 1920s and 1930s, the classic diesel locomotive which pulled
1-26 the Southern “Crescent” passenger train in 1979 when the
1-27 “Crescent” — the last named passenger train operated by the
1-28 U. S. railroad companies in the East — was turned over to
1-29 Amtrak service, and the 1911 Pullman private car “Superb”
1-30 used by Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Warren Harding; and
1-31 WHEREAS, the Southeastern Railway Museum’s historic
1-32 collection illustrates the story of the social and economic
1-33 development of Georgia from 1880 to the present; and
-1-
2- 1 WHEREAS, the Southeastern Railway Museum’s collection is to
2- 2 be housed in a $3.3 million complex donated in 1997 by Frank
2- 3 M. Ewing of Chevy Chase, Maryland; and
2- 4 WHEREAS, the Southeastern Railway Museum serves as an
2- 5 educational resource to students through the offering of
2- 6 private tours, provides a valuable research facility to the
2- 7 public and historians through its extensive library, and
2- 8 attracts tourists both nationally and internationally; and
2- 9 WHEREAS, many states have publicly funded transportation
2-10 history museums and designation of the Southeastern Railway
2-11 Museum, which is operated by a private nonprofit
2-12 corporation, as Georgia’s official transportation history
2-13 museum would be of tremendous public benefit at no cost to
2-14 the State of Georgia.
2-15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
2-16 SECTION 1.
2-17 Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of
2-18 Georgia Annotated, relating to state symbols, is amended by
2-19 inserting at the end thereof the following:
2-20 “50-3-77.
2-21 (a) The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia, is
2-22 designated as the official state transportation history
2-23 museum.
2-24 (b) The Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism and
2-25 other public agencies and leaders in the tourism industry
2-26 are encouraged to work together to maximize advertising
2-27 programs which permit citizens of other states and nations
2-28 to learn of the Southeastern Railway Museum and to visit
2-29 this state for tourism purposes.”
2-30 SECTION 2.
2-31 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
2-32 repealed.
| House | Action | Senate |
|---|---|---|
| 2/1/99 | Read 1st Time | 2/15/99 |
| 2/2/99 | Read 2nd Time | 2/24/99 |
| 2/10/99 | Favorably Reported | 1/14/00 |
| Recommitted | 1/10/00 | |
| 2/12/99 | Read 3rd Time | 1/10/00 |
| 2/12/99 | Passed/Adopted | 1/25/00 |
| 3/24/00 | Sent to Governor | |
| 4/27/00 | Signed by Governor | |
| 687 | Act/Veto Number | |
| 7/1/00 | Effective Date |
| Version by LC Number | |
|---|---|
| LC 21 5245 | As Introduced |
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