H. Res. 517 (119th)Bill Overview

Congratulating St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, Georgia, upon its 150th anniversary.

Simple ResolutionHealth|Health
Cosponsors
Support
Republican
Introduced
Jun 17, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Simple ResolutionWhat this resolution actually does

This resolution is a nonbinding, ceremonial statement from the House congratulating St. Joseph's Hospital on its 150th anniversary and extending best wishes. It does not create law, change funding, or impose legal obligations. It simply records the House's sentiment and honors the hospital's history and service.

Passage rules

Simple resolutions are acted on by only one chamber of Congress; if the House adopts this measure it does not go to the Senate or the President and has no force of law.

This House resolution congratulates St.

Joseph’s Hospital of Savannah, Georgia, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

The text recounts the hospital’s origin in 1875 when the Sisters of Mercy took over the Forest City Marine Hospital, highlights its not-for-profit, community-focused mission, notes its 1997 affiliation with Candler Hospital, and cites awards and community outreach programs.

Passage0/100

As a House resolution that is purely ceremonial and does not change law, it is not intended to become law; H. Res. measures do not become statutes. Judged solely by content and legislative form, the probability of this text becoming law is essentially zero, though its chance of being adopted by the House as a congratulatory resolution is very high.

CredibilityAligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward commemorative resolution: it clearly states its purpose and contains suitably specific resolving language for expressing congratulations and best wishes, while appropriately omitting fiscal, statutory, or implementation detail that would be unnecessary for this type of measure.

Contention5/100

Religious language: progressive may be most sensitive to the explicit theological wording while conservatives view it positively as recognition of faith-based service.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Local governments · CommunitiesFederal agencies · States

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Local governmentsRaises public recognition and local visibility for St. Joseph’s, which could modestly aid fundraising, patient recruitm…
  • CommunitiesAffirms and publicizes community health programs and partnerships (e.g., community clinics, outreach centers), potentia…
  • Local governmentsProvides symbolic validation and morale boost for hospital employees, volunteers, and local residents by formally recog…
Likely burdened
  • Federal agenciesHas no direct effect on federal spending, taxes, regulation, or jobs; critics may note it produces no policy or funding…
  • Potential burdenCould be viewed as an inappropriate use of floor or committee time for a ceremonial matter, drawing criticism about leg…
  • StatesContains religious language (references to God and 'faith‑filled service'), which some critics might argue raises estab…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Religious language: progressive may be most sensitive to the explicit theological wording while conservatives view it positively as recognition of faith-based service.
Progressive90%

A mainstream liberal would generally view the resolution positively as a symbolic recognition of a long-standing community hospital that provides outreach and services to underserved populations.

They would appreciate the mentions of community programs (e.g., Good Samaritan Clinic, African-American Health Information & Resource Center) and the hospital’s nonprofit status.

However, some liberals might regret the emphasis on the hospital’s explicitly religious framing and could wish the resolution emphasized access, equity, and nondiscrimination more explicitly.

Leans supportive
Centrist95%

A centrist/moderate would likely see this as a straightforward, noncontroversial ceremonial measure recognizing a longstanding community institution.

They would value the resolution’s local focus, its acknowledgement of volunteerism and community programs, and the lack of fiscal or regulatory implications.

A centrist might note the religious references but regard them as descriptive of the hospital’s history rather than a policy endorsement.

Leans supportive
Conservative95%

A mainstream conservative would likely approve of the resolution, viewing it as a proper acknowledgement of a faith-affiliated, locally governed, nonprofit hospital that has provided longstanding community service.

The explicit reference to the hospital’s faith-rooted mission and local governance will generally be seen positively by conservatives who value faith-based community contributions and private nonprofit leadership in healthcare.

Since the resolution is purely ceremonial with no spending or regulatory impact, it aligns with conservative preferences for limited federal intervention.

Leans supportive
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood0/100

As a House resolution that is purely ceremonial and does not change law, it is not intended to become law; H. Res. measures do not become statutes. Judged solely by content and legislative form, the probability of this text becoming law is essentially zero, though its chance of being adopted by the House as a congratulatory resolution is very high.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Whether any Member will object to or seek to amend the religious language referencing God and the Sisters of Mercy; such objections are possible but unlikely to block unanimous consent.
  • Procedural scheduling in the House (timing and whether it will be brought up by unanimous consent or placed on the suspension calendar) is not specified in the text and could affect the speed of adoption.
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Religious language: progressive may be most sensitive to the explicit theological wording while conservatives view it positively as recogni…

As a House resolution that is purely ceremonial and does not change law, it is not intended to become law; H. Res. measures do not become s…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward commemorative resolution: it clearly states its purpose and contains suitably specific resolving language for expressing congratulations and best…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
Open full analysis