Georgia CommonsSB 240: Georgia Native Plant Month; designate April of each year
Last action March 16, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
Senate Bill 240 would designate April as Georgia Native Plant Month and replace the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia as Georgia's official state flower.
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 Engrossed version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law currently names the Cherokee rose as the state's official floral emblem and has no designated month recognizing native plants. This bill, called the 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act,' makes two changes to Georgia law. First, it adds a new section to the state's holidays and observances law declaring April of each year as 'Georgia Native Plant Month.' Second, it rewrites the state symbols law so that the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) replaces the Cherokee rose as Georgia's official state flower. The bill does not create any programs, funding, or enforcement mechanisms; it simply establishes the observance and updates the state symbol in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. It repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Adds a new section to Georgia's holidays and observances law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 4 of Title 1) naming April as 'Georgia Native Plant Month' each year.
- Rewrites Georgia's state symbols law (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-53) to remove the Cherokee rose as the official state flower.
- Names the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) as the new official state floral emblem of Georgia.
- Gives the bill the short title 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.'
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.
Who it affects
This bill mainly affects Georgia's official state symbols and calendar of observances, so it touches state government recordkeeping, education materials that reference state symbols, and groups interested in native plants, gardening, and conservation, rather than creating new obligations for individuals or businesses.
Why it matters
If enacted, Georgia's textbooks, tourism materials, and official references would need to reflect a new state flower and a new April observance. The change is symbolic: it does not add funding, regulations, or penalties, but it does formally shift a long-standing state symbol Georgians have learned since childhood.
Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the Act the short title 'Caroline Romberg Silcox Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 1-4-28 designating April as Georgia Native Plant Month.
- Section 3 revises Code Section 50-3-53 to replace the Cherokee rose with the sweetbay magnolia as the state floral emblem.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“The month of April of each year is designated as 'Georgia Native Plant Month' in Georgia.”
“sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is adopted as the floral emblem of the State of Georgia.”
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
Show full history (11 actions)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
- Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
- Max Burns (R, SD-023)
- Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)
Topics
- state symbols
- native plants
- Georgia history
- conservation awareness