Georgia legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Georgia HB466: State symbols; marsh tacky horse as official Georgia heritage horse breed; designate
Status: Signed into law, May 5, 2026
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 the marsh tacky horse as the official Georgia heritage horse breed; to provide legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
What the bill says
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 the marsh tacky horse as the official Georgia heritage horse breed; to provide legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 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 the marsh tacky horse as the official Georgia heritage horse breed; to provide 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 (2) The marsh tacky horse has been used by every culture and class of people that encountered it, including Indigenous nations, like the Seminoles, the Creek, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Cherokee; European settlers; and the Maroon and Gullah communities; (3) General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion utilized marsh tacky horses to navigate through rough, swampy terrain during guerilla campaigns against the British; (4) The marsh tacky horse was the predominant stock horse in the southeastern United States up to the 1930s; H. B. LC 62 0080 (5) During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl eras, larger cattle were brought in from the West requiring larger horses causing the marsh tacky horse to fall out of use; (6) The marsh tacky horse is listed as "critical" under the endangered categories by the Livestock Conservancy; (7) There are less than 2,000 marsh …
Sponsors
- Timothy Bearden (R, 30) · primary sponsor
- Mike Cameron (R, 1) · primary sponsor
- Al Williams (D, 168)
- Ron Stephens (R, 164)
- Jesse Petrea (R, 166)
- Matt Reeves (R, 99)
Latest actions
- : Effective Date
- : Act 382
- : House Date Signed by Governor
- : House Sent to Governor
- : House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub
- : Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
- : Senate Third Read
- : Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
- : Senate Recommitted
- : Senate Read Second Time
Votes
- House Vote #863 (April 2, 2026): 170 yea, 1 nay, passed
- Senate Vote #904 (March 31, 2026): 41 yea, 6 nay, passed
- House Vote #223 (March 6, 2025): 168 yea, 1 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is HB466?
- HB466 is a bill in the Georgia Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): State symbols; marsh tacky horse as official Georgia heritage horse breed; designate.
- What does HB466 do?
- In its own words: 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 the marsh tacky horse as the official Georgia heritage horse breed; to provide legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
- What is the status of HB466?
- Signed into law as of May 5, 2026. Latest action: Effective Date (July 1, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB466?
- Timothy Bearden (R, 30), with 5 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB466?
- On the Georgia Legislature website: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70354
Source: official Georgia record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.