---
title: HB 254. State government; provide placement of Revolutionary War Patriots marker on state capitol building grounds and state archives building grounds
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb254
cite_as: HB 254, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69867
date: 2026-03-10
status: engrossed
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.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1041
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 254
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Debbie Buckner
- Gerald Greene
- Leesa Hagan
- Beth Camp
- Katie Dempsey
- Max Burns
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB254/2025
upstream_id: 1955630
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- state monuments
- Clarence Thomas
- Revolutionary War history
- Capitol Art Standards Commission
- state capitol grounds
---
# HB 254. State government; provide placement of Revolutionary War Patriots marker on state capitol building grounds and state archives building grounds
## Text
The Senate Committee on Rules offered the following
substitute to HB 254:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 45 and Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Capitol Art Standards Commission and
state flag, seal, and other symbols, respectively, so as to provide for duties and
responsibilities of the commission; to provide for the placement of a monument in honor of
the Honorable Clarence Thomas within the Nathan Deal Judicial Center; to provide for
placement of a Revolutionary War Patriots marker upon the grounds of the state capitol
building and upon the grounds of the state archives building; to provide for the approval,
placement, and procurement of such markers; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the Capitol Art Standards Commission, is amended in Code Section 45-13-71,
relating to duties and responsibilities of commission, by adding a new paragraph to read as
follows:
"(5.1) To oversee the design, procurement, and placement of a monument honoring the
Honorable Clarence Thomas pursuant to Code Section 50-3-140;"
SECTION 2.
Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state flag, seal,
and other symbols, is amended by adding two new articles to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 9
50-3-140.
(a) Subject to the availability of funds, there shall be placed within the Nathan Deal
Judicial Center a monument honoring the Honorable Clarence Thomas.
(b)(1) Such monument shall be designed, procured, and placed by the Capitol Art
Standards Commission, subject to final approval by a monument committee composed
of the following members of the General Assembly:
(A) Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives;
(B) Two members of the Senate appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and
(C) One member from each house of the General Assembly appointed by the
Governor.
(2) The monument committee established pursuant to this subsection shall stand
abolished upon placement of such monument.
(c) No public funds shall be expended for the design or procurement of such monument.
Gifts and donations from private individuals, organizations, or foundations shall be
accepted and expended by the Capitol Art Standards Commission to carry out the
requirements of this Code section.
(d) Such monument shall be procured and placed as soon as practicable but not before the
state has been granted any intellectual property license necessary for the purposes of this
Code section.
ARTICLE 10
50-3-150.
(a) There shall be placed upon the grounds of the state capitol building and upon the
grounds outside the state archives building a marker which commemorates the patriots of
the Revolutionary War, honoring the men and women who helped America achieve
independence. Each such marker shall honor the two-hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the United States and those who fought for the noble cause of liberty and for a new nation.
(b) Placement location for Revolutionary War Patriots markers provided for in this Code
section shall be subject to approval by the Capitol Arts Standards Commission for
placement upon the grounds of the state capitol building and by the Board of Regents for
the placement of the marker upon the grounds outside the state archives building.
(c) No public funds shall be expended for the design or procurement of the markers
provided for in this Code section. Each such marker shall be placed as soon as practicable."
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 Senate substitute for HB 254 would authorize a privately funded monument to Justice Clarence Thomas at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center and Revolutionary War Patriots markers at the state capitol and state archives grounds.
### Plain-language summary
This bill amends Georgia law governing the Capitol Art Standards Commission and the state's official symbols. It adds a new duty for the commission to oversee designing, procuring, and placing a monument honoring Justice Clarence Thomas inside the Nathan Deal Judicial Center, subject to final approval by a special legislative committee made up of two House members, two Senate members, and one member from each chamber appointed by the Governor. That committee dissolves once the monument is placed, and no state money can be spent on designing or procuring the monument, only private gifts and donations.
The bill also creates a new Code section requiring markers commemorating Revolutionary War patriots to be placed on the grounds of the state capitol building and outside the state archives building, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Placement must be approved by the Capitol Art Standards Commission for the capitol grounds and by the Board of Regents for the archives grounds, and no public funds may be used for these markers either.
### What it does
- Adds a duty to Georgia's Capitol Art Standards Commission (O.C.G.A. § 45-13-71) to oversee a monument honoring Justice Clarence Thomas.
- Creates a new law (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-140) requiring a Clarence Thomas monument at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center, funded only by private gifts, not public money.
- Establishes a temporary legislative monument committee with members appointed by the House Speaker, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor to give final approval on the monument's design and placement.
- Requires the monument to wait until the state secures any needed intellectual property license before it can be procured or placed.
- Creates a new law (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-150) requiring Revolutionary War Patriots markers on the state capitol grounds and outside the state archives building, funded privately, marking the nation's 250th anniversary.
- Assigns approval of marker placement to the Capitol Art Standards Commission for the capitol grounds and to the Board of Regents for the archives grounds.
### Who it affects
The Capitol Art Standards Commission, which gains new oversight duties; the Board of Regents, which must approve marker placement at the archives building; members of the General Assembly appointed to the monument committee; and private donors or organizations that would fund both the monument and the markers.
### Why it matters
If enacted, Georgians would see a new monument honoring Justice Clarence Thomas at a state judicial building and new historical markers at the capitol and archives grounds, all paid for through private donations rather than taxpayer funds, with legislators and state bodies controlling design and placement approval.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds paragraph (5.1) to O.C.G.A. § 45-13-71, giving the Capitol Art Standards Commission authority over the Clarence Thomas monument's design, procurement, and placement.
- Section 2 creates Article 9 (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-140), establishing the monument, the approval committee's makeup, its dissolution once the monument is placed, and the ban on public funding.
- Section 2 requires the monument to wait for any necessary intellectual property license before it is procured or placed.
- Section 2 creates Article 10 (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-150), requiring Revolutionary War Patriots markers at the capitol and archives grounds tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States.
- Section 2 assigns marker placement approval to the Capitol Art Standards Commission (capitol grounds) and the Board of Regents (archives grounds), with no public funds for design or procurement.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-10)
- Sponsors: Debbie Buckner, Gerald Greene, Leesa Hagan, Beth Camp, Katie Dempsey, Max Burns
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69867
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,041 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254.md?full=1