HB233: HB233 State symbols; Brunswick stew as the official state stew; designate

This bill bundles several unrelated changes to Georgia law. It designates the fourth Friday in November, the day after Thanksgiving, as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia, citing the tradition of family farms making sugarcane syrup. It also declares Brunswick stew, which the bill says originated in Brunswick, Georgia in 1898, as the official state stew, and names cornbread the official state bread, citing its role in Georgia food history and events like the Prater's Mill Country Fair. Separately, the bill rewrites an existing Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 50-5-84.2) that bars companies owned or operated by the Chinese government from bidding on state contracts for goods or services. The bill replaces the China-specific language with a broader category, "foreign country of concern," defined using the U.S. Commerce Department's list of foreign adversary nations. It also raises the civil penalty for companies that falsely certify they are not covered, setting it at the greater of $250,000 or twice the value of the contract.

• Designates the fourth Friday in November each year as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia by adding a new Code section (O.C.G.A. 1-4-27).
• Designates Brunswick stew as the official Georgia state stew by adding O.C.G.A. 50-3-94.
• Designates cornbread as the official Georgia state bread by adding O.C.G.A. 50-3-95.
• Replaces the existing ban on Chinese government-owned companies bidding on state contracts with a broader ban covering any company tied to a country the U.S. Secretary of Commerce designates as a foreign adversary.
• Raises the civil penalty for a company that falsely certifies it is not a covered company to the greater of $250,000 or twice the value of the contract bid on.

Georgia farmers who produce sugarcane syrup, food and cultural traditions tied to Brunswick stew and cornbread, state agencies that award contracts for goods and services, and companies (particularly those owned or affiliated with governments the U.S. designates as foreign adversaries) seeking to bid on those contracts.

Beyond largely symbolic designations honoring Georgia food traditions, the bill changes who is barred from state contracting: instead of only companies tied to China, any company connected to a country the U.S. government labels a foreign adversary would be ineligible, and false certifications would carry a steeper financial penalty.

• Section 1-2 adds O.C.G.A. 1-4-27, naming the fourth Friday in November "National Sugarcane Syrup Day."
• Section 2-2 adds O.C.G.A. 50-3-94, designating Brunswick stew the official state stew, based on findings that it originated in Brunswick, Georgia in 1898.
• Section 3-2 adds O.C.G.A. 50-3-95, designating cornbread the official state bread.
• Section 4-1 revises O.C.G.A. 50-5-84.2 to redefine "scrutinized company" from companies owned by the government of China to companies owned or operated by a "foreign country of concern," defined by reference to U.S. Commerce Department foreign adversary designations under 15 C.F.R. Section 791.4.
• Section 4-1 also raises the civil penalty for false certification to the greater of $250,000 or twice the value of the contract bid on, up from the prior penalty structure.
• Section 5-1 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-01Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-01Act 59
3. 2025-05-01House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-04House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)

• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)Primary sponsor
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2025

   152 yea, 2 nay (12 not voting, 14 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #90

2. FailedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   17 yea, 36 nay (3 not voting, 0 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 19th: Senate Vote #402

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   52 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #403

4. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   113 yea, 51 nay (3 not voting, 13 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #442

• state symbols
• Brunswick stew
• Georgia food traditions
• state contracting rules
• foreign adversary companies