---
title: 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
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1235
cite_as: HB 1235, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1235
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1235.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1235/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72956
date: 2026-02-10
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 132
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1235.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1235
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-06
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Scott Hilton
  - Martin Momtahan
  - Matt Reeves
  - Joseph Gullett
  - Tangie Herring
  - Sandy Donatucci
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1235/2025
upstream_id: 2111528
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - campaign finance
  - election rules
  - political advertising
  - out-of-state donors
  - government transparency
---

# 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

## Text

House Bill 1235
By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Momtahan of the 17th, Reeves of the 99th, Gullett of
the 19th, Herring of the 145th, 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 provide that candidates, campaign
committees, independent committees, and leadership committees that receive more than 50
percent of their funding from non-Georgia persons shall provide certain notices on their
campaign advertisements; to provide for definitions; to provide that candidates and campaign
committees shall provide certain disclosures on their websites with regard to the percentages
of out-of-state and in-state funding received by the candidate or campaign committee; to
provide for updates of such disclosures; to provide for specifications for such notices and
disclosures; to provide for violations and penalties; to provide for related matters; to provide
an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
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 revising paragraph (15) and adding new paragraphs to read as follows:
<ins>"(11.1) 'Electioneering communication' means any communications through broadcast
media, cable, radio, internet, telephone, mailing, billboard, or print that:
(1) Is made or scheduled within 120 days of an election;
(2) Exceeds the cost or value of $1,000.00;
(3) Refers to a clearly identified candidate, proposed constitutional amendment, a
state-wide referendum, or a proposed question which is to appear on the ballot; and
(4) Is targeted at the geographic area where such candidate would represent if elected or
the geographic area affected by such constitutional amendment, referendum, or ballot
question."
</ins> "(15) 'Independent committee' means any committee, club, association, partnership,
corporation, labor union, or other group of persons, other than a campaign committee,
political party, or political action committee, which receives donations during a calendar
year from persons who are members or supporters of the committee and which expends
such funds either for the purpose of affecting the outcome of an election for any elected
office or to advocate the election or defeat of any particular candidate, <ins>or is the functional
equivalent of express advocacy or electioneering communications."
"(17.11) 'Non-Georgia person' means:
(A) As to an individual, any individual except an individual who:
(i) On the date such contribution or donation was made, was a registered Georgia
voter; or
(ii) Paid individual income taxes to the State of Georgia in the calendar year
preceding the date of such contribution or donation;
(B) As to a business entity, any entity except an entity that:
(i) On the date such contribution or donation was made, was registered with the
Secretary of State to do business in this state;
(ii) Paid individual or corporate income taxes to the State of Georgia in the calendar
year preceding the date of such contribution or donation; or
</ins>
<ins>(iii) Filed a corporate income tax return with the Department or Revenue in the
preceding calendar year or maintains sufficient economic presence, property, or
payroll within this state to establish a nexus under state law; and
(C) As to a campaign committee, independent committee, or political action
committee, any such committee which cannot demonstrate that the funds from which
such committee made such contribution or donation came from individuals or entities
exempted pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph."
</ins> SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-5-31, which is reserved, as
follows:
"21-5-31.
<ins>(a) Each candidate and his or her campaign committee, as well as each independent
committee and leadership committee, that receives more than 50 percent of their campaign
contributions in an election cycle from non-Georgia persons shall place a notice on all
campaign advertising by such candidate, campaign committee, independent committee, and
leadership committee that is made or purchased after such 50 percent threshold is met that
states, 'This political advertisement was paid for by out-of-state interests.'. Such notice
shall be in the same or larger font as the majority of the words in the print advertisement
and placed in a prominent location on the print advertisement. In the case of radio or
television advertisements, such notice shall be read aloud in a conversational tone and
speed at the conclusion of any such advertisement.
(b) Each candidate and his or her campaign committee, as well as each independent
committee and leadership committee, shall display on the candidate's or his or her
campaign committee's website in legible form a pie chart which shall show the percent of
campaign contributions received by the candidate, campaign committee, independent
committee, or leadership committee over the current election cycle from persons and
</ins>
<ins>entities domiciled in this state and the percent of campaign contributions received over the
current election cycle from non-Georgia persons. Such percentages shall be updated on a
monthly basis throughout the election cycle.
(c)(1) It shall be a violation of this chapter and unlawful to fail to comply with the
provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section. Each violation of the
provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this Code sections shall be considered a separate
and distinct violation.
(2) Violations of this Code section may 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.
</ins> <del>Reserved."
</del> SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House bill would require candidates and political committees that get more than half their campaign money from out-of-state donors to label their ads as funded by out-of-state interests and post a funding breakdown online.

### Plain-language summary

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.

### What it does

- 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.

### Who it affects

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.

### Why it matters

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.

### Key provisions

- 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.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-06)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-10)
- Sponsors: Scott Hilton, Martin Momtahan, Matt Reeves, Joseph Gullett, Tangie Herring, Sandy Donatucci
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72956

> The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1235.md?full=1