--- title: HB 1158. RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1158 cite_as: HB 1158, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1158 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1158.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1158/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72728 date: 2026-02-04 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/hb1157.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1159.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1158.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1158 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-02 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Mitchell Horner - Brent Cox - Chuck Efstration - Tim Fleming - Joe Campbell - Danny Mathis text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1158/2025 upstream_id: 2104341 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Israel and Middle East policy - state government terminology - official government communications - foreign policy resolutions --- # HB 1158. RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act; enact ## Text House Bill 1158 By: Representatives Horner of the 3rd, Cox of the 28th, Efstration of the 104th, Fleming of the 114th, Campbell of the 171st, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding state government, so as to provide that the state government shall refer to the western bank of the Jordan River as Judea and Samaria; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Retiring the Egregious Confusion Over the Genuine Name of Israel's Zone of Influence by Necessitating Government-use of Judea and Samaria Act" or the "RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act." SECTION 2. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the State of Georgia should refer to the lands Israel secured control and jurisdiction over from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War by its historical names of "Judea and Samaria" in official government materials. SECTION 3. Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding state government, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "50-1-15. The State of Georgia in all official communications and government materials shall refer to the lands Israel secured control and jurisdiction over from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War as 'Judea and Samaria,' with the land south of Jerusalem being considered 'Judea' and the land north of Jerusalem being considered 'Samaria.' The State of Georgia shall not use the term 'West Bank' to refer to such lands. Beginning July 1, 2026, no funds appropriated by the General Assembly or otherwise made available by the State of Georgia may be obligated or expended to prepare or promulgate any policy, guidance, regulation, notice, order, materials, briefing, press release, communications, or other work product that refers to Judea and Samaria as the 'West Bank.' The prohibition in this Code section shall not apply with respect to the obligation or expenditure of funds relating to obligations of the State of Georgia under federal law." SECTION 4. 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 require all state government agencies to call the West Bank area 'Judea and Samaria' in official materials and bar state funds from using the term 'West Bank' starting July 1, 2026. ### Plain-language summary This bill addresses how Georgia state government refers to the territory that Israel took control of from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War, commonly known internationally as the West Bank. The bill adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-15) directing all state agencies to call this land 'Judea and Samaria' in official communications and government materials, splitting it into 'Judea' for the area south of Jerusalem and 'Samaria' for the area north of Jerusalem. The bill explicitly bans the state from using the term 'West Bank' in official work, including policies, guidance, regulations, notices, press releases, and other communications. Starting July 1, 2026, no state funds may be spent producing any material that uses 'West Bank' instead of the required terminology. The bill carves out an exception for spending tied to the state's obligations under federal law. The bill also states the General Assembly's intent behind the change and gives the act a formal short title. ### What it does - Adds a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-1-15) requiring all state government communications and materials to call the West Bank area 'Judea and Samaria.' - Defines the land south of Jerusalem as 'Judea' and the land north of Jerusalem as 'Samaria' for state government purposes. - Bans the state from using the term 'West Bank' in any official policy, guidance, regulation, notice, press release, or other work product. - Blocks state funds from being spent on materials that use 'West Bank' starting July 1, 2026. - Exempts spending related to Georgia's obligations under federal law from the funding restriction. ### Who it affects State government agencies and employees who prepare official communications, policies, regulations, press releases, or other government materials referencing this territory. The bill does not directly regulate private individuals, businesses, or local governments. ### Why it matters State agencies would need to change internal terminology and review materials to avoid the phrase 'West Bank,' and agencies would risk losing funding for work that uses the term after July 1, 2026, unless the spending relates to federal legal obligations. ### Key provisions - Section 1 gives the act a formal short title, the 'RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act.' - Section 2 states the General Assembly's intent that Georgia should use the historical names 'Judea and Samaria' rather than 'West Bank.' - Section 3 adds new Code section 50-1-15, requiring state use of 'Judea and Samaria,' banning the term 'West Bank,' and cutting off funding for materials using that term starting July 1, 2026, with an exception for federal-law obligations. - Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-02) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-04) - Sponsors: Mitchell Horner, Brent Cox, Chuck Efstration, Tim Fleming, Joe Campbell, Danny Mathis - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72728 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1158.md?full=1