Georgia General Assembly · Full text

HB 493: State symbols; pineywoods cattle as official Georgia heritage cattle breed; designate

Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action April 4, 2025 · Introduced

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House Bill 493

By: Representatives Howard of the 71st, Huddleston of the 72nd, Ridley of the 6th, Mathis of the 133rd, Ford of the 170th, and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other state symbols, so as to designate pineywoods cattle as the official Georgia heritage cattle breed; to provide for legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Pineywoods cattle have been in Georgia and the Southeast since the 1500s and were a staple part of everyday work life and a key component to the economic landscape of what would become this state;

(2) Pineywoods cattle herds were raised by not only European settlers but also by the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chocktaw, and Chickasaw;

(3) Over time, pineywoods cattle became adapted to the Southeast, resulting in the breed becoming heat tolerant, resilient, resistant to parasites and diseases, and able to be productive on marginal foliage;

(4) Pineywoods cattle were extremely self sufficient, living largely independent of cattlemen and being driven to a new area only by necessity;

(5) The breed was used for pulling timber from forests, plowing fields, and hauling goods to market in addition to beef and dairy production;

(6) Beginning in the 1950s, larger breeds became favored for the purpose of gaining weight on grain, and survival characteristics and disease resistance were bred out of the larger breeds;

(7) Only a few families continue to keep purebred pineywoods cattle herds, creating a few distinct strains. The Georgia strains include Holt, Purvis, Albany, and Popple;

(8) The Livestock Conservancy currently lists the breed and related strains as threatened, with fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the United States;

(9) Pineywoods cattle are being utilized in holistic grazing initiatives to recover native species due the breed's adaptability to the climate and challenging terrain of the Southeast; and

(10) Establishing pineywoods cattle as the official Georgia heritage cattle breed is necessary to fully recognize the importance of the breed and its contributions to Georgia history.

SECTION 2.

Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other state symbols, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"50-3-94.

Pineywoods cattle are designated as the official Georgia heritage cattle breed."

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.