HB 945: Banking and finance; holds on accounts of eligible adults for suspected financial exploitation; provide

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Discussed in meetings (13)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. House Banks & Banking Committee, February 2, 2026

   From 0:16:07 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute allowing optional 15-day transaction holds, extendable another 15 days, for suspected exploitation of disabled adults or adults 65 and older. The sponsor said institutions must train employees and investigate, and the substitute permits relevant Department of Human Services information sharing. A department attorney explained that trusted contacts receive no account ownership or withdrawal rights, training would follow departmental benchmarks rather than a prescribed course, and institutions face no liability for placing or declining holds. Members questioned optional participation and harm from mistaken holds. The sponsor called the proposal a first step. For cryptocurrency kiosks, the sponsor described registration, fraud warnings, an 18% fee cap, daily limits clarified as $2,500 for new customers and $10,000 for established customers, and fraud refunds. The sponsor said new customers must report fraud to law enforcement and the operator within five days for full refunds; other customers could recover fees. Members questioned the limits and ownership tracking. The attorney estimated 1,300 Georgia kiosks. The sponsor also described annual litigation-financier registration, criminal-history checks and orders stopping unlicensed activity. The attorney said another provision permits alternative background checks for applicants lacking U.S. credit histories. The committee approved a do-pass motion by voice vote, with no opposition heard.

2. House Rules Committee, February 3, 2026

   From 0:16:36 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 945 as the Department of Banking and Finance's annual update, supported by regulated industries. The sponsor said trained financial institutions could hold suspected fraudulent transactions involving customers 65 or older for up to 15 days and request trusted contacts. The sponsor also described cryptocurrency kiosk limits of $2,500 for a first transaction and $10,000 daily for frequent users, required risk disclosures, and annual registration for litigation financing companies to track ownership. One member urged extending the lower kiosk limit to two or three transactions, citing fraud against older people. The sponsor said confirmed fraud reported within five days would qualify for a full refund from the kiosk operator, while later proven fraud would qualify for a fee refund. Another member asked how an older customer could access urgently needed money during a hold. The sponsor pointed to trusted contacts and escalation to institution management, and said institutions would not be required to use holds. No amendment or vote was shown.

3. House Rules Committee, February 5, 2026

   From 0:43:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 425

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair called HB 945 while setting Friday’s calendar. Following a motion and second, the committee placed it on the calendar without opposition. There was no presentation or substantive discussion.

4. House floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14)

   From 1:17:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 433

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a committee substitute as the Department of Banking and Finance's annual update. The sponsor said it would let trained banks and credit unions hold suspected exploitative transactions involving older or disabled adults for up to 15 days, allow trusted contacts and protect institutions acting in good faith. The sponsor also described crypto-kiosk warnings, disclosures, an 18% fee cap, daily limits of $2,500 for new customers and $10,000 for existing customers, full fraud refunds when reported within five days and fee refunds afterward. Litigation financiers would register annually, with ownership checks and enforcement authority. The sponsor said industry associations supported the bill and it would add no state cost. Asked about Ponzi schemes and scam texts, the sponsor said those were outside its scope. Another member questioned optional holds and liability when banks fail to act; the sponsor offered further review. That member also questioned the fee cap, which the sponsor contrasted with fees reportedly reaching 30%. Another member questioned the fraud language and industry consultation. A supporting member described a personal scam experience. The House adopted the substitute without objection and passed HB 945 161 to 5.

5. Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:28:50 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a House substitute combining banking law updates with three main changes. The sponsor said banks and credit unions could opt into a program allowing initial holds of up to 15 days on transactions suspected of exploiting elderly or disabled adults, with training, notice and documentation requirements. The sponsor said the substitute clarified information sharing by the Department of Human Services. For cryptocurrency kiosks, the sponsor described an 18% fee ceiling, warnings, a $2,500 initial limit, later daily limits of $10,000, and refunds for qualifying fraud reports. The sponsor also described annual registration, ownership checks and enforcement powers for litigation financiers. One committee member questioned whether immunity requiring both actual knowledge and malicious purpose could prevent action against employees who knowingly ignored fraud. The Department of Banking and Finance's general counsel said the department retained oversight authority and warned that weaker immunity could discourage participation. Another member with banking experience agreed. A separate member asked about sharing litigation financing information with the insurance commissioner. The general counsel said the bill contained no such provision and the department was not discussing it with that office. The committee approved the bill unanimously without further changes.

6. Senate Rules Committee, March 9, 2026

   From 0:13:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described the bill as the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance's annual housekeeping measure and said interested parties had raised no objections. No substantive provisions were explained, and members asked no questions. The committee later unanimously included the bill on the next day's calendar.

7. Senate floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30)

   From 3:22:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 945 as the Department of Banking and Finance's annual update. The sponsor said it would permit temporary holds on suspected exploitative transactions involving older or disabled adults, require investigations and employee training, regulate cryptocurrency kiosks through warnings, fee and transaction limits and fraud refunds, and strengthen litigation-financier registration and enforcement. The sponsor cited FBI figures showing kiosk complaints rose 99% from 2023 to 2024, with losses exceeding $240 million. An amendment sponsor proposed barring denial of essential services because of constitutionally protected activities or social-credit criteria. The amendment sponsor cited at least three Georgia cases and said damages would be actual losses or $50,000, whichever was greater. Senators questioned evidence, social-credit definitions, notice requirements and lawsuit exposure. The Banking Committee chair and bill sponsor opposed adding the proposal, warning of lawsuits and urging separate consideration. The chair ruled the amendment relevant. Proposed changes replacing a $2 billion threshold with $10 trillion or $5 billion failed, 17-31 and 21-28. A change protecting refusal to support state or federal administrations passed, 27-22. The main amendment, including that change, then failed, 9-41. The Senate passed the original bill unchanged, 50-0.

• Read aloud: House floor session, January 13, 2026 (legislative day 2), 0:48:37
• Read aloud: House floor session, January 14, 2026 (legislative day 3), 0:53:14
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 2, 2026 (legislative day 10), 1:00:28
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 9, 2026 (legislative day 15), 0:25:18
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:39:34
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:22:31

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