SB240: SB240 Georgia Native Plant Month; designate April of each year

This bill, which the Senate has already passed, makes two changes to Georgia's official symbols and observances law. First, it adds a new section to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated declaring April of each year as 'Georgia Native Plant Month.' Second, it rewrites the state law that names Georgia's official state flower, replacing the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). The bill is titled the 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.' It repeals any existing laws that conflict with these changes, though it does not specify a delayed effective date, so it would take effect under Georgia's standard rules once signed into law. The bill does not include funding, penalties, or enforcement provisions; it is purely a symbolic and ceremonial change to state law.

• Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 1-4-28) declaring April of each year as 'Georgia Native Plant Month' in Georgia.
• Rewrites O.C.G.A. § 50-3-53 to remove the Cherokee rose and name the sweetbay magnolia as the official state floral emblem.
• Gives the Act a short title, the 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act,' for citation purposes.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

The change mainly affects how Georgia's state symbols are described in official contexts, such as state publications, ceremonies, and education materials. It also touches groups focused on native plants, gardening, and horticulture, since the new observance highlights native species and the emblem change reflects a shift toward a native Georgia plant.

The bill does not change any regulations, funding, or penalties; its effect is symbolic. Georgians would see April officially recognized for native plants, and the sweetbay magnolia, a plant native to Georgia, would replace the Cherokee rose, which is not native to the state, as the official floral emblem.

• Section 1 gives the bill the short title 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 1-4-28 to Chapter 4 of Title 1, designating April as 'Georgia Native Plant Month.'
• Section 3 revises Code Section 50-3-53 so the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), rather than the Cherokee rose, is the state's official floral emblem.
• Section 4 repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new provisions.

1. 2026-03-16House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-02-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
8. 2025-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)Primary sponsor
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #603

• state symbols
• native plants
• state flower
• Georgia holidays and observances