--- title: HB 303. Original 33 Memorial Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb303 cite_as: HB 303, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb303 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb303.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb303/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69977 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/hb302.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb304.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 946 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb303.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 303 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: - Carl Gilliard - Billy Mitchell - Karen Lupton - Derrick Jackson - Inga Willis - Matt Brass text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB303/2025 upstream_id: 1958458 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia history - state capitol monuments - civil rights history - Reconstruction era - Black legislators --- # HB 303. Original 33 Memorial Act; enact ## Text 25 LC 60 0065/AP House Bill 303 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Gilliard of the 162nd, Mitchell of the 88th, Lupton of the 83rd, Jackson of the 68th, and Willis of the 55th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state1 flag, seal, and other symbols, so as to provide for placement o f a monument to honor the2 Original 33; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting3 laws; and for other purposes.4 WHEREAS, in 1868, 33 African Americans, the Original 33, were e lected to the General5 Assembly of Georgia: Senators Aaron Alpeoria Bradley, Tunis Campbell, Sr., and George6 Wallace, and Representatives Thomas M. Allen, Eli Barnes, Thomas Beard, Edwin Belcher,7 Tunis Campbell, Jr., Malcolm Claiborn, George H. Clower, Abram Colby, John T. Costin,8 Madison Davis, Monday Floyd, F. H. Fyall, Samuel Gardner, William A. Golden, William9 Guilford, William Henry Harrison, Ulysses L. Houston, Philip Joiner, George Linder, Robert10 Lumpkin, Romulus Moore, Peter O'Neal, James Ward Porter, Alfred Richardson, James M.11 Simms, Abraham Smith, Alexander Stone, Henry McNeal Turner, John Warren, and Samuel12 Williams; and13 WHEREAS, these men were some of the first Black state legislators in the United States; and 14 H. B. 303 - 1 - 25 LC 60 0065/AP WHEREAS, in September of 1868, the Original 33 were expelled fr om the General15 Assembly of Georgia; and16 WHEREAS, it is only fitting that the Original 33 be honored and recognized for their17 pioneering work and suffering for attempting to integrate the General Assembly of Georgia.18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:19 SECTION 1.20 Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state flag, seal,21 and other symbols, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:22 "ARTICLE 823 50-3-130.24 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Original 33 Memorial Act.'25 50-3-131.26 (a) There shall be placed upon the capitol grounds of the stat e capitol building or in27 another prominent place a monument in honor of the Original 33, the Black legislators28 expelled from the General Assembly following the end of Reconstruction, subject to the29 availability of private funds for such purpose.30 (b) Unless public safety concerns warrant postponement, such monument shall be procured31 and placed as soon as practicable."32 SECTION 2.33 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.34 H. B. 303 - 2 - ## 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. House Bill 303 directs the state to place a monument on the Georgia Capitol grounds honoring the Original 33, the Black legislators expelled from the General Assembly in 1868, once private funding is available. ### Plain-language summary In 1868, 33 African American men were elected to the Georgia General Assembly, among the first Black state legislators in the country. That September, they were expelled from the legislature. This bill creates a new article in Georgia law (Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated) to formally honor them. The bill names itself the 'Original 33 Memorial Act' and requires that a monument be placed on the state capitol grounds, or in another prominent location, to recognize the Original 33. The monument depends on private funds being available, meaning the state is not required to spend public money on it. Once funding exists, the bill says the monument should be procured and placed as soon as practicable, unless public safety concerns require a delay. ### What it does - Creates a new article in Georgia's code on state symbols (O.C.G.A. Chapter 3 of Title 50) dedicated to honoring the Original 33 legislators. - Names the new law the 'Original 33 Memorial Act' as its official short title. - Requires a monument honoring the Original 33 be placed on the capitol grounds or another prominent site, but only once private funding is secured. - Directs that the monument be installed as soon as practicable after funding is available, unless a public safety concern justifies delay. - Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with this new requirement. ### Who it affects The bill primarily affects state officials responsible for capitol grounds and monuments, and it commemorates the legacy of the 33 Black men elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1868 who were later expelled. It also potentially involves private donors, since the monument depends on private funding rather than state funds. ### Why it matters If enacted, Georgia would have a permanent public monument recognizing legislators expelled for being Black shortly after Reconstruction. Because the monument depends entirely on private donations rather than tax dollars, whether and when it actually gets built depends on outside fundraising rather than a guaranteed state budget commitment. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds Article 8 to Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, covering state flag, seal, and other symbols. - New Code Section 50-3-130 establishes the short title, the 'Original 33 Memorial Act.' - New Code Section 50-3-131(a) requires a monument to the Original 33 on the capitol grounds or another prominent place, conditioned on the availability of private funds. - New Code Section 50-3-131(b) requires the monument to be procured and placed as soon as practicable unless public safety concerns warrant postponing it. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-01) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-01) - Sponsors: Carl Gilliard, Billy Mitchell, Karen Lupton, Derrick Jackson, Inga Willis, Matt Brass - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69977 > The history, votes, and amendments (946 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb303.md?full=1