Georgia CommonsHB 1130: Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures (SECURE) Act; enact
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 12, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1130
By: Representatives Seabaugh of the 34th, Gambill of the 15th, Rice of the 139th, DeLoach of the 167th, Burchett of the 176th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to government transparency and campaign finance, so as to specify the time period for a candidate's or campaign committee treasurer's failure to comply with requests for inspection of accounts; provide for penalties for failure to comply with such requests; to provide that certain expenses related to security equipment and services constitute expenses of a campaign; to provide a definition; to provide for the leasing of security equipment; to provide for additional reporting requirements for such expenses; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures (SECURE) Act."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to government transparency and campaign finance, is amended in Code Section 21-5-3, relating to definitions, by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(24.1) 'Security expenditures' means reasonable costs for security equipment and monitoring services, including but not limited to installation costs by licensed providers of security services."
SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 21-5-32, relating to accounts to be kept by candidate or campaign committee treasurer, by adding a new subsection to read as follows: "(d) Any request to inspect accounts issued under this article shall allow the candidate or treasurer of a campaign committee up to 30 days to comply with such request. Failure to allow or facilitate such inspection shall constitute a violation of this article and be subject to civil penalties as provided for in Code Section 21-5-6 or criminal penalties as provided for in Code Section 21-5-9."
SECTION 4.
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 21-5-33, relating to disposition of contributions, by revising subsection (a) as follows:
"(a)(1) Contributions to a candidate, a campaign committee, or a public officer holding elective office and any proceeds from investing such contributions shall be utilized only to defray ordinary and necessary expenses, which may include any loan of money from a candidate or public officer holding elective office to the campaign committee of such candidate or such public officer, incurred in connection with such candidate's campaign for elective office or such public officer's fulfillment or retention of such office. (2)(A) In addition to defraying ordinary and necessary expenses pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, contributions to a candidate, a campaign committee, or a public officer holding elective office and any proceeds from investing such contributions may be utilized to defray expenditures incurred by a candidate or public officer holding elective office to provide for his or her security during an ongoing campaign or for the term of such elective office; provided, however, that no expenditures pursuant to this paragraph shall:
(i) Be used for structural or physical improvements to property that is not directly related to the installation of security equipment;
(ii) Be used for the purchase of any firearms, ammunition, or other weapons; or
(iii) Be used to pay a member of the family or campaign staff member of the candidate or public officer holding elective office for the installation of security equipment or the provision of monitoring services.
(B) Any security equipment acquired by an expenditure pursuant to this paragraph shall be returned upon the conclusion of a candidate’s active campaign or, in the case of a public officer, upon the expiration of the term of office. Such equipment may be retained only if the candidate or public officer reimburses the campaign, from personal funds, an amount equal to the full cost of the equipment. Absent such reimbursement, the equipment shall not remain in the possession of the candidate or public officer.
(C) In addition to any other reporting that may be required by this chapter, a candidate, chairperson or treasurer of a campaign committee, or public officer holding elective office shall provide an itemized report to the commission on each expenditure made pursuant to this paragraph. Such report shall include invoice documentation of the security equipment and security services acquired and, if such equipment or services were obtained from a licensed provider of security services, the licensing information of such provider."
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.