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HR 1053

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED AND PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INC., FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jay Richardson

Non-binding Arkansas House resolution honors Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity for their histories and community service, granting formal recognition.

Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment.
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Bill Summary · HR 1053

Summary — Arkansas House Resolution HR 1053 (95th General Assembly, 2025)

Purpose

HR 1053 is a non‑binding commemorative resolution introduced to formally recognize and honor Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., for their historical roots, community service, scholarship programs, and contributions to Arkansas, the nation, and the world.

Key provisions

  • Recites the founding dates and histories:
    • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.: founded January 16, 1920, at Howard University.
    • Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.: founded January 9, 1914, at Howard University.
  • Lists organizational accomplishments and statistics cited in the resolution, including:
    • Zeta Phi Beta: 875 chapters in the U.S.; ~2,500 “Friends of Zeta”; over 2,000 youth auxiliaries; reported gifts of $3,500,000 to college students over the past five years; annual Pearl Anna Neal Scholarship of $125,000 (since 2021); over 150,000 Z‑Hope programs; donations totaling more than $8,000,000; an asserted positive impact on over 5,000,000 lives.
    • Phi Beta Sigma: 599 active chapters; annual 576,000 volunteer hours; mentorship of ~4,500 young men annually; $1,200,000 in scholarships annually; $18,000,000 invested in the Black Spend Initiative; establishment of a national foundation and a federal credit union.
  • Notes notable members and honorary members of both organizations.
  • Directs that, upon adoption, a copy of the resolution be provided to the leaders of each organization by the Chief Clerk of the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Who is affected

  • The resolution is honorary and primarily affects the two organizations (Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma) by providing formal recognition from the Arkansas House.
  • No regulatory, fiscal, or enforcement effects on state agencies, individuals, or businesses.

Procedural history and status

  • Introduced in the Arkansas House by Representative J. Richardson on February 6, 2025.
  • Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary (2/6/2025).
  • Calendaring and readings are recorded (placed on Local & Consent Calendars; laid before the House; listed on Congratulatory & Memorial Resolutions calendar).
  • The bill record provided contains conflicting entries: some entries show adoption and “reported enrolled” in late May 2025, while the bill’s status is listed as “Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment” (5/05/2025). The official status at the top of the record indicates the resolution ultimately died in committee at the sine die adjournment. (If precise final disposition is required, consult the Arkansas House Journal or Secretary of the Arkansas Senate records for confirmation.)
  • A companion bill is listed as S 461.

Impact and limitations

  • HR 1053 is a symbolic recognition; it creates no legal obligations, budgetary expenditures, or programmatic changes.
  • The resolution publicly acknowledges historical contributions and may be used by the organizations for publicity or records of recognition.
  • Figures and assertions in the resolution (membership counts, dollar amounts, volunteer hours) are those recited by the sponsors and are not independently verified in the text.

Sponsor

  • Primary sponsor: Representative J. Richardson.
  • (A list of additional named cosponsors was provided in the source materials; some names appear to be members of the U.S. Congress and may not apply to a state legislative resolution.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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