Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional Office Act of 2022
PL 117-227 (S.4359), enacted 12/09/2022

[117th Congress Public Law 227]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 2303]]

Public Law 117-227
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To designate the regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
 in metropolitan Atlanta as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of 
       Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office'', and for other 
             purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 9, 2022 -  [S. 4359]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Senator Johnny 
Isakson VA Regional Office Act of 2022. Georgia.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional 
Office Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) John Hardy Isakson, known as ``Johnny'', was born 
        December 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Julia Isakson and 
        Edwin Andrew Isakson.
            (2) Johnny Isakson graduated from the University of Georgia 
        in 1966 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.
            (3) In 1966, Johnny Isakson enlisted in the Georgia Air 
        National Guard, serving until 1972 and attaining the rank of 
        Staff Sergeant.
            (4) Johnny Isakson gained success in private business, 
        serving for 22 years as a real estate executive and growing his 
        business into one of the largest of its kind in both Georgia and 
        in the United States.
            (5) Johnny Isakson was elected to the Georgia General 
        Assembly in 1976, serving in the State House of Representatives 
        until 1990.
            (6) Johnny Isakson was elected to the Georgia State Senate 
        in 1992, serving until 1996.
            (7) In 1996, Governor Zell Miller appointed Johnny Isakson 
        to be Chairman of the Georgia State Board of Education.
            (8) Johnny Isakson was elected to represent the 6th District 
        of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives in 
        1999, and served until 2005.
            (9) During his time in the House of Representatives, Johnny 
        Isakson, as a member of the Committee on Education and Labor of 
        the House of Representatives, worked to improve American 
        education, and was a key advocate for the bipartisan education 
        reforms that became the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public 
        Law 107-110).
            (10) Johnny Isakson was elected to the United States Senate 
        in 2004, serving until December 31, 2019.

[[Page 136 STAT. 2304]]

            (11) During his time in the Senate, Johnny Isakson was an 
        exemplar of courtesy, dignity, and kindness, beloved and 
        respected by colleagues regardless of party.
            (12) Johnny Isakson, during the 111th Congress, demonstrated 
        a bipartisan yearning for peace, and crossed party lines to 
        support the ratification of the 2010 Strategic Arms Reduction 
        Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation, 
        also known as New START.
            (13) During the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses, Johnny 
        Isakson served as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
        of the Senate, a position with which he tirelessly championed 
        reform to improve the benefits and quality of service for our 
        nation's military veterans.
            (14) During the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses, Johnny 
        Isakson served as Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics of 
        the Senate.
            (15) The late Congressman John Lewis once described Johnny 
        Isakson as ``A man who has strong belief but also willing to 
        work with others to get things done.''.
            (16) On December 19, 2021, Johnny Isakson passed away, but 
        his legacy of character and goodwill will endure as an example 
        to all who serve, or will serve, in the United States Senate.
SEC. 3. SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                    ATLANTA REGIONAL OFFICE.

    (a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta 
Regional Office in Georgia shall, after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, be known and designated as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson 
Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office'' or the 
``Isakson VA Atlanta Regional Office''.
    (b) Reference.--Any reference in a law, regulation, map, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the Regional Office 
referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional 
Office.

    Approved December 9, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 4359:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            July 27, considered and passed Senate.
            Nov. 14, 17, considered and passed House.

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