Legislation brought to the Georgia Senate by State Sen. Marty Harbin would authorize the creation of new specialty license plates to celebrate the Girl Scouts and the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to the Georgia State Senate.
Introduced as SB524 on Wednesday, Feb. 18 during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the proposed measure is formally titled: ‘License Plates; specialty license plate honoring Girl Scouts of Georgia; establish.’
The following summary reflects our interpretation to clarify the bill’s clauses, referencing the actual bill text.
The legislation would authorize two new specialty license plates: one designed to honor the Girl Scouts of Georgia, the other to commemorate 250 years since U.S. independence. Funds raised by sales of the Girl Scouts plate would be divided equally between Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, while proceeds from the anniversary plate—which will include the phrase “250 years of freedom and liberty” in place of the county decal—would go to the Georgia Historical Society. The proposal requires two-thirds approval in both legislative chambers to be enacted and would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Senators Timothy Bearden (Republican-30th), John Albers (Republican-56th), and Elena Parent (Democrat-44th) joined as co-sponsors, along with six additional Senate members.
Harbin has introduced 12 other bills since the session began, with one passing into law.
A Georgia State University graduate, Harbin earned a BA in 1977.
Harbin, a Republican, has served in the Georgia Senate representing the 16th District since his 2015 election, succeeding Ronnie Chance.
In Georgia, legislators typically start the process by working with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft proposed bills, often prompted by requests from constituents. After a bill is filed with either the House Clerk or the Senate Secretary, it receives its first reading and is assigned to a committee for initial consideration and debate. Once approved by the committee, the measure advances for a third reading and a vote by the full chamber. To be enacted, a bill must clear both the House and Senate—the latter may reconcile versions in a conference committee if needed—before heading to the governor, who then has six days during session, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without signature. The General Assembly meets annually for a 40-day session starting on the second Monday of January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB503 | 02/12/2026 | Insurance; rental home marketplace guarantees from the definition of property insurance; exempt |
| SB441 | 01/29/2026 | Local Government Investment Pool; certain pooled investments to be approved by the State Depository Board; require |
| SB426 | 01/27/2026 | Education; high school students seeking a high school diploma to achieve a minimum score of 70 percent on the United States Citizenship Civics Test; require |
| SB425 | 01/27/2026 | Education; all schools that receive state funding with students in any of grades three through five to provide instruction in cursive handwriting to all students by no later than third grade; require |
| SB424 | 01/27/2026 | “Transactional Gold and Silver Act”; enact |
| SB399 | 01/14/2026 | “Mason Sells AED Coordination Act”; enact |
| SB325 | 03/05/2025 | Education; local school systems and public schools to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains; authorize |
| SB324 | 03/05/2025 | Life Insurance; certain protections for life insurance policyholders and beneficiaries; provide |
| SB261 | 02/26/2025 | Magistrates Retirement Fund; early retirement benefit; provide |
| SB120 | 02/06/2025 | Education; public schools, local education agencies, and public postsecondary institutions shall not promote, support, or maintain any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion |
| SB121 | 02/06/2025 | Uninsured Motorist Coverage; minimum required under motor vehicle liability policies for a individual convicted of driving under the influence or reckless driving; increase |
| SB46 | 01/28/2025 | “Government Serves the People Act”; enact |
The information included here was sourced from the Georgia State Senate. Additional source material is available here.
