--- title: HB 233. State symbols; Brunswick stew as the official state stew; designate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb233 cite_as: HB 233, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb233 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb233.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb233/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69838 date: 2025-05-01 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb232.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb234.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1579 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb233.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 233 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-01 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Rick Townsend - Buddy DeLoach - Steven Sainz - James Burchett - Leesa Hagan - Devan Seabaugh - Mike Hodges text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB233/2025 upstream_id: 1955660 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - state symbols - Brunswick stew - Georgia food traditions - state contracting rules - foreign adversary companies --- # HB 233. State symbols; Brunswick stew as the official state stew; designate ## Text 25 HB 233/AP House Bill 233 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Townsend of the 179 th, DeLoach of the 167 th, Sainz of the 180 th, Burchett of the 176th, Hagan of the 156th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 and Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to holidays and observances and state government, respectively, so as to designate2 the fourth Friday in November of each year as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia;3 to designate Brunswick stew as the official state stew; to designate cornbread as the official4 state bread; to provide for legislative findings; to prohibit companies owned or operated by5 a foreign country of concern from submitting a proposal for a contract with a state agency6 for goods or services; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other7 purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 PART I10 SECTION 1-1.11 The General Assembly finds that:12 (1) Making sugarcane syrup has been a part of family farm trad ition for generations,13 particularly in Georgia;14 H. B. 233 - 1 - 25 HB 233/AP (2) The increase in production costs, competition from artificial syrups, and the decreasing15 number of farmers who still make sugarcane syrup, however, has led some to refer to the16 making of sugarcane syrup as a dying art;17 (3) Establishing a "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia would help to preserve the18 art of making sugarcane syrup by honoring those who continue wi th this longstanding19 family farm tradition and by raising public awareness of the differences between natural20 sugarcane syrup and artificial syrups;21 (4) Designating the fourth Friday in November of each year, the day after Thanksgiving,22 as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" is particularly fitting, as i t is not only a time when23 families gather and celebrate together, but also a time when so me say sugarcane is at its24 sweetest in Georgia; and25 (5) It is, therefore, abundantly fitting and proper that the S tate of Georgia appropriately26 recognize and honor the family farm tradition of making sugarcane syrup by designating27 the fourth Friday in November of each year as "National Sugarcane Syrup Day" in Georgia.28 SECTION 1-2.29 Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and30 observances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:31 "1-4-27.32 The fourth Friday in November of each year is designated as 'Na tional Sugarcane Syrup33 Day' in Georgia."34 PART II35 SECTION 2-1.36 The General Assembly of Georgia finds and determines that:37 H. B. 233 - 2 - 25 HB 233/AP (1) Brunswick stew is a rich, thick stew noted for its signatu re ingredients of meat,38 tomatoes, and fresh vegetables, such as sweet corn;39 (2) A plaque on an old iron pot in Brunswick, Georgia, declares the first Brunswick stew40 was made in it on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island; and41 (3) Contrary to claims by other states, Georgia, and specifically Brunswick, Georgia, is the42 birthplace of Brunswick stew.43 SECTION 2-2.44 Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government, is amended45 by adding a new Code section to read as follows:46 "50-3-94.47 Brunswick stew is designated as the official Georgia state stew."48 PART III49 SECTION 3-1.50 The General Assembly finds and declares that:51 (1) The colorful history and traditions of the State of Georgia are inextricably associated52 with the food traditions of corn, and among the many legacies of this proud heritage is the53 delicious bread known as cornbread;54 (2) Relied upon by indigenous people to sustain themselves, co rnbread has transcended55 its humble origins to take a place of honor at such events as the Prater's Mill Country Fair56 in Whitfield County;57 (3) With thousands of participants and visitors, such celebrat ions include cornbread58 cooked on a wood-burning stove and served with collard greens and pinto beans;59 H. B. 233 - 3 - 25 HB 233/AP (4) Corn is grown, ground, and made into cornmeal at historic mills like Prater's Mill,60 Berry College Mill, and Ogeechee River Mill and modern mills like Southeastern Mills and61 Logan Turnpike Mill;62 (5) Cornmeal is then sold in stores and served in eating estab lishments throughout the63 state, and cornbread is enjoyed by young and old at home and in restaurants;64 (6) Cornbread enjoys a singular stature in Georgia history and culture that is rivaled only65 by its undeniable appeal as a versatile and satisfying food; and66 (7) Accordingly, it is abundantly fitting and proper that corn bread be designated as the67 official Georgia state bread so as to fully recognize the importance of this product to this68 state.69 SECTION 3-2.70 Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government, is amended71 by adding a new Code section to read as follows:72 "50-3-95.73 Cornbread is designated as the official Georgia state bread."74 PART IV75 SECTION 4-1.76 Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government, is amended77 by revising Code Section 50-5-84.2, relating to contracting with companies owned by China,78 as follows:79 "50-5-84.2.80 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:81 (1) 'Company' means any sole proprietorship, organization, ass ociation, corporation,82 partnership, joint venture, lim ited partnership, limited liabil ity partnership, limited83 H. B. 233 - 4 - 25 HB 233/AP liability company, or other entity or business association, inc luding all wholly owned84 subsidiaries, majority owned subsidiaries, or parent companies, or affiliates o f s u c h85 entities or business associations, that exists for the purpose of making profit.86 (2) 'Government of China' mean s the People's Republic of China led by the Chinese87 Communist Party.88 (2) 'Foreign country of concern' means a country whose government is designated as a89 foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pu rsuant to 15 C.F.R.90 Section 791.4.91 (3) 'Scrutinized company' means any company owned or operated by the government of92 China a foreign country of concern or any company in which the government of a foreign93 country of concern has an ownership stake.94 (b) A scrutinized company shall be ineligible to, and shall not, bid on or submit a proposal95 for a contract, directly or through a third-party seller, with a state agency for goods or96 services, including, but not limited to, a contract for the pro curement or purchase of97 computers, printers, connecting cables, or interoperable videoconferencing services used98 in connection with an office environment.99 (c) A state agency shall require a company that submits a bid or proposal with respect to100 a contract for goods or services to certify that the company is not a scrutinized company.101 (d) If the Department of Administrative Services determines that a company has submitted102 a false certification under subsection (c) of this Code section:103 (1) The company shall be liable for a civil penalty in an amou nt that is equal to the104 greater of $250,000.00 or twice triple the amount of the contract for which a bid or105 proposal was submitted entire purchase value;106 (2) The state agency or the Department of Administrative Servi ces shall terminate the107 contract with the company; and108 (3) The company shall be ineligible to, and shall not, bid on a state contract."109 H. B. 233 - 5 - 25 HB 233/AP PART V110 SECTION 5-1.111 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.112 H. B. 233 - 6 - ## 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. This Georgia House bill creates a state day honoring sugarcane syrup, names Brunswick stew the official state stew and cornbread the official state bread, and broadens a state contracting ban from Chinese-owned companies to companies tied to any foreign adversary nation. ### Plain-language summary 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. ### What it does - 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. ### Who it affects 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. ### Why it matters 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. ### Key provisions - 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. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-01) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-01) - Sponsors: Rick Townsend, Buddy DeLoach, Steven Sainz, James Burchett, Leesa Hagan, Devan Seabaugh, Mike Hodges - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69838 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,579 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb233.md?full=1