Midway through the 2026 Georgia legislative session, we are beginning to see food and drink-related bills make their way out of committee and to the floors of the state house and senate – and even to the governor’s desk.
This may not seem like the sexiest dining topic, especially given the Beltline bagel drama that recently took over social media, or any story on a big restaurant opening. However, it’s important to know what food and beverage bills legislators and lobbyists are pushing, and how these potential new laws could affect our restaurant and beverage industries on state and local levels.
Rough Draft and journalists from across Georgia have spent years following numerous alcohol distribution bills moving through the state legislature that would impact how breweries and distilleries did business with the public. (In 2026, the state’s breweries continue to fight for loosening Georgia’s distribution laws under the three-tier system that limits how much breweries can sell directly to customers and retailers.)
Multiple iterations of the “brunch bill” were crafted over several legislative sessions, until a bill finally became law in 2018. Georgia Senate Bill 17 now allows restaurants in certain municipalities to serve you a mimosa starting at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
In 2021, a bill allowing restaurants to offer to-go cocktails with takeout food orders became law to help restaurants recoup revenue lost during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the 2026 session, three bills moving through the Georgia legislature captured the attention of the Rough Draft dining team, including a bill involving how Georgia restaurants disclose the sourcing of shrimp served on the menu.
HB 117: Disclosure of serving imported shrimp
After being introduced last January in the state house, then tabled four months later in the Georgia senate, House Bill (HB) 117 – aka the “shrimp transparency bill” – is on its way to Gov. Brian Kemp. If Kemp signs, the bill will require all Georgia restaurants to disclose whether they serve imported shrimp on the menu.
What the bill requires
Under the new law, Georgia restaurants serving shrimp or dishes that contain shrimp will need to disclose if the crustaceans were imported. That means the words “Foreign Imported” must follow any dish containing non-domestic shrimp listed on the menu, or require restaurants to display the words “Foreign Imported Shrimp” on placards or signs visible to the public.
Why it matters
The bill comes at a time when Georgia shrimpers struggle to sell and distribute locally caught shrimp. Many restaurants source shrimp from other countries, rather than domestically or from state fisheries. High demand for shrimp (the average American eats around five pounds of shrimp per year), along with a post-pandemic influx of imported shrimp flooding the market, caused prices for locally farmed, domestic, and wild-caught shrimp to soar. Recent testing by advocacy groups found that some Georgia restaurants falsely advertised serving local and/or domestic shrimp.
A shrimper told WSAV in Savannah that while he agreed with what the bill proposed, he believed it wouldn’t have an immediate impact on local fishermen like himself. A seafood market owner in Savannah hopes restaurants that falsely advertised serving local shrimp will face repercussions under the new law.
Once signed, Georgia will join Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in requiring restaurants to disclose the source of shrimp offered on menus.
Read more about the testing conducted by SeaD Consulting on behalf of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, which led to the introduction of bills in Gulf and Southern Atlantic states like Georgia.
When it takes effect
If Gov. Brian Kemp signs HB 117 into law, the shrimp transparency act could take effect immediately. However, it’s more likely to take effect at the beginning of 2027, giving restaurants the opportunity to reevaluate shrimp sourcing and time to reprint menus.
HB 1229: Museum Sunday alcohol sales
This is a pretty simple bill that would bring museums licensed to serve alcohol in line with Georgia restaurants and retailers. If passed and signed into law, HB 1229 would allow museums around the state to sell alcohol on Sundays at the same time as restaurants and retailers.
Introduced on Feb. 5, 2026, HB 1229 is still with state house readers.
When it would take effect
Once signed by the governor, HB 1229 would likely take effect immediately. The bill has moderate partisan support.
HB 1013: Lemon pepper state wing flavor
Considered a “lighthearted bill,” HB 1013 proposes to make lemon pepper the official chicken wing flavor of Georgia.
“Lemon pepper wings have become a staple of southern cuisine in Atlanta and across Georgia,” Representative Eric Bell (D-Jonesboro) said.
“Lemon pepper wings are a fan-favorite that bring people together across race, culture, class and community,” Bell continued. “From ‘Lemon Pepper Lou’ at Magic City to lyrics in billboard hits from Gucci Mane and Rick Ross, lemon pepper wings have been central to many of the moments and individuals who have shaped this city and state.”
Bell added that designating lemon pepper as the official state wing flavor would also recognize “the cultural, culinary and community significance of lemon pepper wings” in Georgia.
Introduced on Jan. 16, 2026, HB 1013 is still with state house readers.
When it would take effect
Once signed by the governor, HB 1013 would likely take effect immediately. The bill has bipartisan support.
