--- title: HB 1013. State symbols; Georgia state chicken wing flavor; designate lemon pepper collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1013 cite_as: HB 1013, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1013 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1013.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1013/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72320 date: 2026-02-25 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1012.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1014.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 199 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1013.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1013 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-01-16 last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute sponsors: - Eric Bell - Dexter Sharper - Kasey Carpenter - David Huddleston - Mekyah McQueen - Carl Gilliard text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1013/2025 upstream_id: 2085239 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - state symbols - Georgia food culture - chicken wings - Atlanta history --- # HB 1013. State symbols; Georgia state chicken wing flavor; designate lemon pepper ## Text The House Committee on Special Rules offers the following ubstitute to HB 1013: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other state symbols, so as to designate lemon pepper as the official Georgia state chicken wing flavor; to provide for legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) Chicken wings have long been a staple of American cuisine, with the Buffalo flavor first rising to prominence in the late 20th century; (2) In 1979, Taco Mac opened in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood, and this Atlanta-based restaurant introduced the chicken wing to Georgia, bringing with it the standard Buffalo flavor that quickly became a culinary mainstay; (3) Over the years, Georgians elevated chicken wings into a cultural experience, giving birth to unique local flavors and traditions; (4) Among these, lemon pepper has emerged as a flavor that is distinctly tied to Georgia, representing creativity, boldness, and Southern hospitality; (5) In 1989, American Deli opened as a small family-owned business with one location in Atlanta, at South DeKalb Mall, and invented the cultural phenomenon "lemon pepper wet"; (6) Lemon pepper wings are enjoyed in countless variations, whether Buffalo with lemon pepper sprinkles, "lemon pepper wet," all flats, or hot honey lemon pepper; (7) Lemon pepper wings resonate across Georgia communities, transcending race, region, and class, and bring people together at cookouts, family gatherings, sporting events, and neighborhood restaurants such as JR Crickets, Wingstop, Hotlanta Wings, Magic City, and countless other establishments; (8) Atlanta culture has carried lemon pepper wings to global recognition, through references in music by artists such as Gucci Mane, Ziggy2Playa, Quavo, and Rick Ross; the celebrated NBA star Lou Williams, affectionately named "Lemon Pepper Lou"; and countless other cultural nods; and (9) Just as peaches symbolize Georgia's agricultural pride, lemon pepper wings symbolize Georgia's cultural flavor and global culinary influence. SECTION 2. Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other state symbols, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "50-3-96. Lemon pepper wings are designated as the official Georgia state chicken wing flavor." SECTION 3. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House bill would name lemon pepper as the state's official chicken wing flavor, adding it to the list of official Georgia state symbols alongside things like the peach and the peanut. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law keeps a list of official state symbols, such as the state fruit, in Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. This bill would add a new entry to that list by creating a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96, that designates lemon pepper as the official Georgia state chicken wing flavor. The bill opens with a series of legislative findings tracing the history of chicken wings in Georgia, from Taco Mac's introduction of Buffalo wings in Atlanta in 1979 to American Deli's invention of the 'lemon pepper wet' style in 1989. It describes lemon pepper wings as a cultural touchstone referenced in Atlanta music and associated with NBA player Lou Williams. The bill does not create any new program, funding, or penalty; it simply adds a symbolic designation to state law and repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96, that designates lemon pepper as the official Georgia state chicken wing flavor. - Includes legislative findings describing the history of Buffalo and lemon pepper chicken wings in Georgia, including their introduction by Taco Mac and American Deli. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with the new designation, though the bill does not identify any specific conflicting law. ### Who it affects This is a symbolic designation, so it does not impose duties on any group. It mainly touches the state's official symbols list and reflects Georgia's restaurant and food culture, including businesses like Taco Mac, American Deli, JR Crickets, Wingstop, Hotlanta Wings, and Magic City named in the findings. ### Why it matters The bill would not change any rules, funding, or penalties; its practical effect is adding a cultural symbol to Georgia's official state symbols list, similar to the state fruit or state bird, formally recognizing lemon pepper wings as tied to Georgia's identity. ### Key provisions - Section 1 lists legislative findings on the history of chicken wings in Georgia, including Taco Mac's 1979 introduction of Buffalo wings and American Deli's 1989 creation of 'lemon pepper wet.' - Section 2 adds new Code section 50-3-96, stating that lemon pepper wings are designated as the official Georgia state chicken wing flavor. - Section 3 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with the Act. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-01-16) - Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-02-25) - Sponsors: Eric Bell, Dexter Sharper, Kasey Carpenter, David Huddleston, Mekyah McQueen, Carl Gilliard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72320 > The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1013.md?full=1