A bill brought forward by State Rep. Eric Bell in the Georgia House proposes recognizing lemon pepper wings as a nod to the state’s unique culinary and cultural legacy, according to the Georgia State House.
Filed as HB1013 on Friday, Jan. 16, during the 158th General Assembly’s 2026 regular session, the bill’s purpose was described as: ’State symbols; Georgia state chicken wing flavor; designate lemon pepper’.
The summary below is based on the official measure text and includes clarification to help explain the proposal.
Essentially, the legislation would identify lemon pepper wings as the official chicken wing flavor of Georgia, adding this designation to other state symbols. The findings track the dish’s history in the state, credit an Atlanta restaurant for first serving Buffalo wings in 1982, and mention how Georgia has developed its own variations. The proposal remarks that lemon pepper wings are strongly tied to Georgia’s culture, highlighting their widespread popularity, role at community events, impact on Atlanta’s international cultural influence, and frequent references in sports and in music.
The bill has co-sponsorship from Rep. Dexter Sharper (Democrat-177th), Rep. Carl Gilliard (Democrat-162nd), Rep. Kasey Carpenter (Republican-4th) and two additional legislators.
Since the session commenced, Bell has brought forward 10 other bills.
Bell graduated from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bell, a Democrat, assumed office in Georgia’s 75th House District in 2023, succeeding former state lawmaker Mike Glanton.
As outlined in Georgia’s legislative handbook, the state’s lawmaking process begins when a legislator, sometimes prompted by constituents, works with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. After submission to the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the bill is read for the first time and assigned to a committee for review and discussion. If the committee advances the proposal, it moves to the full chamber for a final reading, debate and then a vote. To become law, the measure must clear both the House and Senate—sometimes requiring compromise in a conference committee—and is then sent to the governor, who must sign or veto it within six days during session, or, after Sine Die, within 40 days. The Georgia General Assembly holds a 40-day legislative session each year starting on the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB954 | 01/13/2026 | Eric’s Law; enact |
| HB650 | 02/26/2025 | Presidential Felon Freedom Act; enact |
| HB550 | 02/20/2025 | Education; promise scholarship accounts; require participating schools to prepare school safety plans that meet certain requirements |
| HB524 | 02/19/2025 | Public officers and employees; elected officers or officials shall not have their employment terminated solely as a result of being elected to or holding an elected office; provide |
| HB464 | 02/13/2025 | Crimes and offenses; immunity for a prospective offender while seeking assistance from law enforcement as a victim of certain offenses; provide |
| HB403 | 02/11/2025 | Property; enhance protections for homeowners and tenants by revising or repealing certain provisions inhibiting housing stability |
| HB389 | 02/11/2025 | Property; prohibit homeowners’ associations from preventing property owners from installing solar energy devices; provisions |
| HB214 | 01/30/2025 | Evidence; creative and artistic expression evidence is inadmissible at trial; provide |
| HB206 | 01/30/2025 | Drug-free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990; repeal Article 2 of Chapter 1 |
| HB201 | 01/30/2025 | Food; selling, offering for sale, trading, or distributing lab-grown meat; prohibit |
This report relied on data from the Georgia State House. Original source information is available here.
