SR292: SR292 Senate Special Committee on Investigations; investigate additional matters; to authorize the use of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses; authorize

This resolution builds on Senate Resolution 5, which created the Senate Special Committee on Investigations earlier in 2025 to look into Fani Willis. SR292 expands that same committee's mission to also investigate organizations linked to Stacey Abrams, including the New Georgia Project, the New Georgia Action Fund, and Power Forward Communities, after a state ethics settlement and a federal grant announcement raised questions about campaign finance law and nonprofit oversight. The committee keeps its existing members and officers, but gains authority to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses, demand documents, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas for this new subject matter. It operates under the same rules and meeting procedures set out in Senate Resolution 5. Funding comes from money already appropriated to the Senate. Any findings or recommended legislation must be approved by committee majority vote before being filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

• Expands the Senate Special Committee on Investigations' mission, created under Senate Resolution 5, to include organizations connected to Stacey Abrams.
• Keeps the committee's existing members and officers from Senate Resolution 5 in place for the expanded work.
• Grants the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and documents, and take depositions on the new subject matter.
• Authorizes the committee to take enforcement action against witnesses who refuse to comply with its subpoenas.
• Directs that funding for the expanded investigation come from money already appropriated to the Senate.
• Requires any committee report with legislative or budget recommendations to be approved by majority vote before filing with the Secretary of the Senate.

The resolution directly affects the Senate Special Committee on Investigations and its members, plus the New Georgia Project, the New Georgia Action Fund, Power Forward Communities, and any individuals or organizations the committee subpoenas for testimony or records related to Stacey Abrams' associated groups.

The expanded committee can now compel testimony and documents from nonprofit organizations and individuals tied to campaign finance activity in Georgia, potentially leading to proposed changes in state ethics and campaign finance laws or enforcement resources.

• Paragraph 1 authorizes the committee, originally formed by Senate Resolution 5, to investigate additional matters concerning organizations associated with Stacey Abrams.
• Paragraph 2 keeps the committee's current members and officers unchanged.
• Paragraph 3 gives the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and records, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas for the expanded investigation.
• Paragraph 4 states the committee's rules and meetings continue to follow Senate Resolution 5's procedures.
• Paragraph 5 specifies that funding for the expanded work comes from existing Senate appropriations.
• Paragraph 6 sets requirements for filing committee reports, including majority vote approval and signature by the chairperson before submission to the Secretary of the Senate.

1. 2025-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-03-27Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2025-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
4. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
5. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2025-02-27Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)Primary sponsor
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   33 yea, 21 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Adoption: Senate Vote #307

• campaign finance
• ethics investigations
• Stacey Abrams
• legislative subpoenas
• nonprofit oversight