Georgia CommonsHB1310: HB1310 State symbols; cotton as official state fabric; designate
Last action May 6, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-07-01
A Georgia House bill would designate cotton as the state's official fabric, adding it to the list of official state symbols in Georgia law.
In plain language
Georgia law already names a number of official state symbols, such as the state bird and state flower, under a section of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A. Title 50, Chapter 3). This bill adds cotton to that list as the official state fabric. The bill opens with a set of legislative findings describing cotton's properties, such as breathability and being hypoallergenic, and noting that Georgia farmers grow roughly one million acres of cotton across nearly 100 counties, contributing more than $3 billion a year to the state's economy. The operative change is short: it adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96, stating simply that cotton is the official Georgia state fabric. It also repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-3-96) declaring cotton the official state fabric.
- Includes legislative findings about cotton's properties and its role in Georgia's agricultural economy as background for the designation.
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with the new designation.
Who it affects
This bill mainly has symbolic effect. It touches Georgia's cotton farmers and the rural economies tied to cotton production, since the findings highlight their economic role, though the bill creates no new programs, funding, or regulations for them.
Why it matters
The bill does not change any regulations, funding, or day-to-day rules; it simply gives cotton an official symbolic status alongside Georgia's other state symbols, similar to the state bird or state flower, while highlighting cotton's economic importance to rural Georgia.
Key provisions
- Section 1 lists legislative findings on cotton's properties (breathability, hypoallergenic qualities, reduced microplastic pollution) and its economic footprint in Georgia.
- Section 2 adds new Code section 50-3-96 to Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, stating that cotton is designated as the official Georgia state fabric.
- Section 3 repeals all laws or parts of laws that conflict with the Act.
From the bill
“Cotton is designated as the official Georgia state fabric.”
“Around one million acres of cotton is grown in nearly 100 of Georgia's 159 counties16 every year contributing over $3 billion annually to the economy of this state”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-07-01
- Act 430
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
Show full history (17 actions)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)
- Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
- Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)
- Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
- Al Williams (D, HD-168)
- Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
Votes
- House voteMarch 3, 2026
158 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 17 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
50 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)
Topics
- state symbols
- cotton
- Georgia agriculture
- state fabric