diff --git a/.changelog/6422.txt b/.changelog/6422.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1cfcf15edcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/6422.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+bigtable: fixed comparing column family name when reading a GC policy.
+```
diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy.go b/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy.go
index 41a44e7a06c..64186f992aa 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy.go
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ func resourceBigtableGCPolicyRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	defer c.Close()
 
 	name := d.Get("table").(string)
+	columnFamily := d.Get("column_family").(string)
 	ti, err := c.TableInfo(ctx, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("[WARN] Removing %s because it's gone", name)
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ func resourceBigtableGCPolicyRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	}
 
 	for _, fi := range ti.FamilyInfos {
-		if fi.Name == name {
+		if fi.Name == columnFamily {
 			d.SetId(fi.GCPolicy)
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy_test.go b/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy_test.go
index f4604743da4..ca8a4b93f2a 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_gc_policy_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func TestAccBigtableGCPolicy_union(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// Testing multiple GC policies; one per column family.
 func TestAccBigtableGCPolicy_multiplePolicies(t *testing.T) {
 	// bigtable instance does not use the shared HTTP client, this test creates an instance
 	skipIfVcr(t)
@@ -406,7 +407,7 @@ func testAccBigtableGCPolicyExists(t *testing.T, n string) resource.TestCheckFun
 		}
 
 		for _, i := range table.FamilyInfos {
-			if i.Name == rs.Primary.Attributes["column_family"] {
+			if i.Name == rs.Primary.Attributes["column_family"] && i.GCPolicy == rs.Primary.ID {
 				return nil
 			}
 		}
@@ -621,14 +622,20 @@ resource "google_bigtable_table" "table" {
   instance_name = google_bigtable_instance.instance.id
 
   column_family {
-    family = "%s"
+    family = "%sA"
+  }
+  column_family {
+    family = "%sB"
+  }
+  column_family {
+    family = "%sC"
   }
 }
 
 resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyA" {
   instance_name = google_bigtable_instance.instance.id
   table         = google_bigtable_table.table.name
-  column_family = "%s"
+  column_family = "%sA"
 
   max_age {
     days = 30
@@ -638,7 +645,7 @@ resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyA" {
 resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyB" {
   instance_name = google_bigtable_instance.instance.id
   table         = google_bigtable_table.table.name
-  column_family = "%s"
+  column_family = "%sB"
 
   max_version {
     number = 8
@@ -648,7 +655,7 @@ resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyB" {
 resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyC" {
 	instance_name = google_bigtable_instance.instance.id
   table         = google_bigtable_table.table.name
-  column_family = "%s"
+  column_family = "%sC"
 
   max_age {
     days = 7
@@ -660,7 +667,7 @@ resource "google_bigtable_gc_policy" "policyC" {
 
   mode        = "UNION"
 }
-`, instanceName, instanceName, tableName, family, family, family, family)
+`, instanceName, instanceName, tableName, family, family, family, family, family, family)
 }
 
 func testAccBigtableGCPolicy_gcRulesCreate(instanceName, tableName, family string) string {