HB874: HB874 Georgia Taxpayer Privacy Protection Act; enact

Some property tax records in Georgia are public under the state's open records law (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70), which lets anyone request them for transparency. This bill responds to concerns that taxpayer phone numbers included in those records get misused for telemarketing, fraud, and identity theft when records are sold or shared in bulk. The bill adds a new section to Georgia's property tax code (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-35) barring anyone from putting a taxpayer's phone number in a tax roll, assessment record, or other publicly accessible property tax document, whether physical or electronic. It carves out exceptions for internal government use in tax collection, court-ordered disclosures, and cases where the taxpayer gave written consent. Anyone who recklessly or knowingly discloses a phone number in violation faces a civil penalty of up to $5,000, and violations also count as unfair or deceptive practices under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-390 et seq.). The bill does not include a separate effective date section.

• Bars any person from including a taxpayer's telephone number in a tax roll, assessment record, or other publicly accessible property tax document.
• Applies the ban to both physical and electronic records, including those shared through data sales, open records requests, and third-party agreements.
• Exempts internal government use for tax collection or enforcement, court-ordered disclosures, and cases where the taxpayer consented in writing.
• Sets a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for anyone who recklessly or knowingly discloses a taxpayer's phone number in violation of the law.
• Classifies violations as unfair or deceptive acts under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-390 et seq.), which can trigger additional consumer protection enforcement.
• Directs the state revenue commissioner and county tax commissioners to adopt policies and procedures to carry out the new rule.

County tax commissioners and the state revenue commissioner, who manage property tax records; anyone who buys, sells, or shares bulk property tax data; data brokers and third parties who currently receive taxpayer phone numbers in these records; and property taxpayers whose contact information appears in public tax files.

If enacted, Georgians' phone numbers would no longer legally appear in the public property tax records that get sold or shared with data companies, which the bill's findings say are sometimes used for unwanted solicitation, fraud, or identity theft. Businesses handling these records would need to strip that data or face penalties.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Georgia Taxpayer Privacy Protection Act.'
• Section 2 lays out legislative findings that phone numbers in tax records serve no public transparency purpose and can be misused for solicitation, fraud, and identity theft.
• Section 3 adds new Code section 48-5-35, prohibiting phone numbers in any tax roll, assessment record, or publicly accessible property tax document, covering both paper and electronic formats.
• Section 3 also lists exceptions for internal government use, court orders, and written taxpayer consent, and sets a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for reckless or knowing violations.
• Section 3 makes violations an unfair or deceptive act under the Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-390 et seq.) and requires tax officials to adopt implementing policies.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
2. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
3. 2026-03-09Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
4. 2026-03-06House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
5. 2026-03-06House Third Readers (House)
6. 2026-02-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-04-02House Second Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-31House First Readers (House)

• David Huddleston (R, HD-072)Primary sponsor
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
• Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
• Derrick McCollum (R, HD-030)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2026

   166 yea, 1 nay (4 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #661

• property taxes
• taxpayer privacy
• open records
• consumer protection
• data privacy