HB 1068: Georgia Constituent Services Improvement and Accountability Act; enact

Currently Georgia law provides members of the General Assembly with salary and expense reimbursements but has no dedicated funding stream or centralized support for constituent services. This bill, called the Georgia Constituent Services Improvement and Accountability Act, changes that by amending O.C.G.A. §§ 28-1-8 and 28-4-8. Each member would get a $7,000 expense allowance at the start of their term for constituent services purposes, tracked through records reviewed by the State Ethics Commission and reported annually to the Legislative Services Committee. Members could also direct up to $1,000 per year toward delegation-wide constituent services offices, which delegations could pool together. The bill also creates a new Office of Constituent Services, run by a director chosen every odd year by the Legislative Services Committee, to provide technology, training, standardized procedures, and coordination support for caucuses and delegations. The office must be fully operational by July 1, 2027, and the law would take effect once the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law.

• Gives each member of the General Assembly a $7,000 expense allowance at the start of their term specifically for constituent services activities.
• Requires members to keep records of how the $7,000 allowance is spent and submit an annual public report to the Legislative Services Committee by January 31.
• Allows members to direct up to $1,000 per year toward delegation-wide constituent services offices, which can be pooled across a delegation.
• Creates a new Office of Constituent Services to provide staffing, technology, training, and standardized case management practices for legislative caucuses and delegations.
• Requires the State Ethics Commission to create forms, conduct annual audits, and may conduct random audits of how these new funds are used.
• Sets a deadline of July 1, 2027 for the Office of Constituent Services to be fully operational.

Members of the Georgia House and Senate, legislative caucuses and delegations, the Legislative Services Committee, and the State Ethics Commission, which would oversee new record-keeping and audits. Georgia constituents who interact with legislative offices would also be affected through changes to how those offices are staffed and run.

Lawmakers would have new dedicated money and staff support for handling constituent requests, which could change how quickly and consistently residents get help from their legislators. The added reporting and audit requirements would create a public paper trail showing how these new funds are actually used.

• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 to add a $7,000 per-term expense allowance for each member, limited to constituent services purposes and subject to State Ethics Commission audit.
• Section 3 also creates a separate $1,000 annual allowance members can direct toward delegation-wide constituent services offices, which delegations may pool.
• Members must submit a public report each year by January 31 detailing how the $7,000 allowance was used and citing specific constituent services improvements.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 28-4-8 (previously reserved) to create the Office of Constituent Services under the Legislative Services Committee, headed by a director chosen every odd-numbered year.
• The Office of Constituent Services must select technology for case management and correspondence, develop training programs, and set guidelines for use of the $1,000 delegation funds.
• The office must coordinate delegation-wide constituent services offices statewide and publish an annual public report by January 31 on its activities and outcomes.
• The office must be fully operational no later than July 1, 2027.
• Section 5 makes the law effective as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without approval.

1. 2026-02-02House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-29House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-28House Hopper (House)

• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)

• legislative funding
• constituent services
• government transparency
• state ethics oversight
• legislative offices