SB 240: Georgia Native Plant Month; designate April of each year

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-03-16House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2026-03-04House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senado)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Third Read (Senado)
6. 2026-02-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senado)
7. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senado)
8. 2025-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senado)

• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)Patrocinador principal
• 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)

1. AprobadaVotación: Senado3 de marzo de 2026

   53 a favor, 0 en contra (0 sin votar, 2 ausentes)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #603

• state symbols
• native plants
• Georgia history
• conservation awareness