HB 1235: Elections; candidates and certain committees that receive more than 50 percent of their funding from non-Georgia persons shall provide certain notices on their campaign advertisements; provide

Georgia law currently does not require campaigns to disclose how much of their money comes from outside the state. This bill would change that by adding new definitions to the state's campaign finance law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 5 of Title 21) for terms like 'electioneering communication' and 'non-Georgia person,' the latter covering individuals who are not registered Georgia voters or taxpayers and businesses not registered or paying taxes in Georgia. The bill's main requirement is in a rewritten Code Section 21-5-31. Any candidate, campaign committee, independent committee, or leadership committee that gets more than 50 percent of its contributions in an election cycle from non-Georgia persons would have to label all campaign ads made after that threshold is hit with the statement 'This political advertisement was paid for by out-of-state interests.' All covered committees, regardless of their funding mix, would also have to post a pie chart on their website showing the split between in-state and out-of-state contributions, updated monthly. Violations would be subject to civil or criminal penalties. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Requires candidates and committees that get more than 50 percent of their contributions from non-Georgia persons to add an out-of-state funding disclosure to their campaign ads.
• Requires the disclosure to appear in large, prominent print on printed ads and to be read aloud on radio or television ads.
• Requires all covered candidates and committees to post an updated monthly pie chart online showing the split between in-state and out-of-state campaign contributions.
• Defines 'non-Georgia person' to exclude Georgia registered voters, Georgia taxpayers, and businesses registered or paying taxes in Georgia.
• Defines 'electioneering communication' as certain paid ads made within 120 days of an election that cost over $1,000 and refer to a candidate, amendment, or ballot question.
• Makes failing to follow the new ad-labeling or website disclosure rules a violation subject to civil penalties under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-6 or criminal penalties under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-9.

Candidates for Georgia office, their campaign committees, independent committees, and leadership committees, especially those relying heavily on donors or entities based outside Georgia. It also affects Georgia voters who see campaign ads and websites, since they would gain new disclosures about where campaign money comes from.

Georgians would be able to see, on ads and campaign websites, when a candidate or committee is funded mostly by people or entities outside the state. Campaigns crossing the 50 percent out-of-state threshold would face new labeling duties and potential civil or criminal penalties for noncompliance.

• Section 1 amends the definitions in O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3, adding 'electioneering communication' and 'non-Georgia person' and expanding the definition of 'independent committee' to include groups engaged in express advocacy or electioneering communications.
• Section 1 defines 'non-Georgia person' to exclude Georgia registered voters, Georgia individual taxpayers, and businesses registered, taxed, or with sufficient economic presence in Georgia.
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 21-5-31 to require an out-of-state funding notice on ads once a candidate or committee passes the 50 percent out-of-state contribution threshold.
• Section 2 requires the notice to read 'This political advertisement was paid for by out-of-state interests,' displayed prominently in print or read aloud on broadcast ads.
• Section 2 requires all covered candidates and committees to post a monthly-updated pie chart on their websites showing in-state versus out-of-state contribution percentages.
• Section 2 makes noncompliance a violation subject to civil penalties under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-6 or criminal penalties under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-9, with each violation counted separately.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature.

1. 2026-02-10House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-09House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-06House Hopper (House)

• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)Primary sponsor
• Martin Momtahan (R, HD-017)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Tangie Herring (D, HD-145)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)

• campaign finance
• election rules
• political advertising
• out-of-state donors
• government transparency