Georgia CommonsHB 1310: State symbols; cotton as official state fabric; designate
Last action May 6, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-07-01
House Bill 1310 designates cotton as Georgia's official state fabric, adding a new section to Georgia law listing state symbols.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law includes a list of official state symbols, and this bill adds cotton to that list as the official state fabric. The bill starts with a set of legislative findings describing cotton's properties, such as its breathability and hypoallergenic qualities, and notes that Georgia farmers grow roughly one million acres of cotton each year across nearly 100 counties, generating more than $3 billion annually for the state's economy. The operative change is short: it adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96, to Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50, stating simply that cotton is the official Georgia state fabric. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, which is standard closing language.
What the bill does
- Adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96, to Georgia law designating cotton as the official state fabric.
- States legislative findings about cotton's economic role in Georgia, citing about one million acres grown yearly across nearly 100 counties.
- Cites cotton's contribution of over $3 billion annually to Georgia's economy as part of the rationale for the designation.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new designation, standard closing language with no separate substantive effect.
Who it affects
The designation is largely symbolic, so it does not impose new duties or costs on any group. It touches Georgia's cotton farmers and rural agricultural communities, whose industry is highlighted in the bill's findings, and it affects the official list of Georgia state symbols maintained in state law.
Why it matters
The bill does not change any regulations, funding, or requirements; it adds a formal, symbolic recognition of cotton's role in Georgia's history and economy to the state code, similar to other designated state symbols like the state bird or flower.
Key provisions
- Section 1 lists legislative findings about cotton's properties and its economic contribution, including over $3 billion annually and cultivation across nearly 100 of Georgia's 159 counties.
- Section 2 adds new Code section 50-3-96 to Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50, stating that cotton is designated the official Georgia state fabric.
- Section 3 repeals any laws in conflict with the Act, standard boilerplate with no independent substantive effect.
From the bill
“Cotton is designated as the official Georgia state fabric.”
“Around one million acres of cotton is grown in nearly 100 of Georgia's 159 counties every year contributing over $3 billion annually to the economy of this state”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-07-01
- Act 430
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
Show full history (17 actions)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)
- Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
- Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)
- Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
- Al Williams (D, HD-168)
- Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
Votes
- House voteMarch 3, 2026
158 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 17 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
50 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)
Topics
- state symbols
- cotton
- Georgia agriculture
- state fabric