SB378: SB378 "Anti-Corruption Act"; enact

Georgia currently allows leadership committees, political fundraising groups chaired by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or certain party nominees and legislative caucus leaders, to raise unlimited contributions outside normal campaign finance limits. This bill, called the Anti-Corruption Act, would prohibit these leadership committees going forward. Any leadership committee still operating on July 1, 2026 would have to stop spending money, return all contributions, and dissolve. The bill also adds a brand new rule: organizations mostly made up of government officials or political subdivisions (like counties, cities, or school districts) that receive public funding would be barred from lobbying or spending money on lobbying. Both changes take effect July 1, 2026, and any conflicting Georgia laws would be repealed.

• Bans leadership committees chaired by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, certain party nominees, or legislative caucus political action committees, effective July 1, 2026.
• Requires any leadership committee still active on July 1, 2026 to stop spending, refund all contributions, and legally dissolve.
• Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-77) banning lobbying and lobbying expenditures by organizations mostly composed of government officials or subdivisions that receive public funding.
• Sets the effective date for all changes as July 1, 2026 and repeals any state laws that conflict with the new rules.

The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial nominees, House and Senate majority and minority caucus political action committees, and any organizations made up largely of local or state government officials that receive public funds and currently lobby, such as associations of counties, cities, or school boards.

If enacted, top state officials and party leaders would lose a fundraising tool that currently lets them collect unlimited campaign contributions outside normal limits. Government-affiliated groups funded by taxpayer money, such as associations representing counties or school boards, would no longer be able to lobby state or local officials.

• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34.2, keeping the definition of a leadership committee but adding subsection (b), which prohibits leadership committees and requires existing ones to stop spending and dissolve by July 1, 2026.
• Section 2 also allows a chairperson who leaves office to transfer committee assets to another leadership committee or name a new chair within 60 days, or dispose of assets under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-33.
• Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 21-5-77, barring lobbying or lobbying spending by organizations that are majority government officials or subdivisions and receive public funding, starting July 1, 2026.
• Section 4 sets the overall effective date of the Act as July 1, 2026.
• Section 5 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new provisions.

1. 2025-04-04Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-04-04Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)Primary sponsor

• campaign finance
• lobbying rules
• government transparency
• political action committees
• Georgia elections