---
title: SB 295. State Board of Education; local school systems to maintain and publish a registry of all contracts worth more than $10,000.00; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb295
cite_as: SB 295, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb295
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb295.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb295/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70933
date: 2026-01-12
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: 240
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb295.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 295
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Recommitted
sponsors:
- Jason Anavitarte
- Freddie Sims
- John Albers
- Carden Summers
- Chuck Hufstetler
- Billy Hickman
- Bill Cowsert
- Ben Watson
- Larry Walker
- Lee Anderson
- Shawn Still
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB295/2025
upstream_id: 1987863
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school contracts
- government transparency
- education funding
- local school boards
- public records
---
# SB 295. State Board of Education; local school systems to maintain and publish a registry of all contracts worth more than $10,000.00; require
## Text
Senate Bill 295
By: Senators Anavitarte of the 31st, Sims of the 12th, Albers of the 56th, Summers of the
13th, Hufstetler of the 52nd and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 8 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to State Board of Education under the "Quality Basic Education Act,"
so as to require local school systems to maintain and publish a registry of all contracts worth
more than $10,000.00 involving the use of any state funds; to provide for such information
to be included on the contract registry; to require local boards of education to adopt policies;
to provide for enforcement; to prohibit waivers; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 8 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to State Board of Education under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended
by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-245.
(a) By August 1, 2026, each local school system shall maintain a contract registry that
includes a complete record of all contracts, agreements, and other financial obligations by
any other name in an amount greater than $10,000.00, if such contract, agreement, or other
obligation is paid for or otherwise financed in whole or in part using state funds. Such
contract registry shall be prominently posted and readily searchable on the local school
system's public website. Such contract registry shall include the information required in
subsection (b) of this Code section.
(b) By January 1, 2026, the Department of Education shall create a template for local
school systems' contract registries required by this Code section. Such template shall
provide for the contract registry to include the information relevant to the public's right to
know how tax dollars are being spent or obligated, to whom and for what purposes such
tax dollars are being obligated, and shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(1) Name of the contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee;
(2) Contract initiation and end dates;
(3) Contract renewal and extension options, if any;
(4) Contract payment terms;
(5) Total contract amount or obligation;
(6) Contract funding source or sources;
(7) Contract spending category;
(8) A brief description of the purpose of the contract, including, but not limited to, what
goods, services, and other things of value are being purchased, leased, received, or
otherwise procured;
(9) Whether the contract was competitively procured, and if not, an explanation for why
competitive procurement was not used or required;
(10) The names of each officer of the contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee and
of each individual who signed or otherwise executed the contract on behalf of the
contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee;
(11) Whether any individual identified pursuant to paragraph (10) of this subsection, or
any individuals lobbying for such contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee, was
employed by the local school system or its local board of education in the previous five
years; and
(12) Whether the local board of education or the local school system contracted with
such contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee in the previous five years, and if so,
when.
(c)(1) Each local school system's contract registry shall be regularly updated and not less
often than by August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1 each year.
(2) Each local school system shall have no more than 60 days from the initiation of a
contract, agreement, and other financial obligation by any other name in an amount
greater than $10,000.00 to update its contract registry to include the information required
in subsection (b) of this Code section.
(d) By July 1, 2026, each local board of education shall establish policies to implement the
requirements of this Code section.
(e) If a local board of education fails to comply with any provision of this Code section,
compliance shall be subject to enforcement pursuant to Code Section 20-2-243.
(f) This Code section shall not be subject to waiver pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for
a strategic waivers school system or Code Section 20-2-2063.2 or 20-2-2065 for a charter
system."
SECTION 2.
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 Senate bill would require every local school system to publish an online registry of contracts worth more than $10,000 that involve state funds, so the public can see how tax dollars are spent.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia's local school systems are not required to keep a public, searchable list of large contracts paid for with state money. This bill adds a new section to the Quality Basic Education Act requiring each local school system to maintain a contract registry for any contract, agreement, or financial obligation over $10,000 that is paid for in whole or in part with state funds.
The Department of Education must create a standard template for these registries by January 1, 2026, and local school systems must have their registries up by August 1, 2026, updating them at least quarterly (August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1) and within 60 days of a new qualifying contract. Local boards of education must adopt policies implementing the requirement by July 1, 2026. Noncompliance is enforced under the state's existing school system enforcement law, and school systems cannot get a waiver from this requirement even if they otherwise qualify for waivers as a strategic waivers or charter system.
### What it does
- Requires every local school system to maintain a public, searchable online registry of contracts, agreements, or financial obligations over $10,000 that use state funds.
- Directs the Department of Education to create a standard registry template by January 1, 2026, specifying required data fields.
- Requires registries to disclose contractor names, payment terms, funding sources, whether the contract was competitively bid, and prior employment or contracting ties between the contractor and the school system.
- Sets update deadlines: quarterly updates plus a 60-day window to add any new qualifying contract.
- Requires local boards of education to adopt implementing policies by July 1, 2026, and makes noncompliance enforceable under existing law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-243).
- Bars local school systems from claiming a waiver from this requirement, even under strategic waivers or charter system status.
### Who it affects
Local school systems and their boards of education across Georgia, school district administrators who manage contracts and websites, vendors and contractors who do business with schools using state funds, and members of the public who want to track how school systems spend tax dollars.
### Why it matters
Parents, taxpayers, and watchdogs would gain an online tool to see who school districts are paying, how much, and whether contracts were competitively bid or tied to former employees or lobbyists. School systems would face new administrative work and a firm compliance deadline with no waiver option.
### Key provisions
- New Code Section 20-2-245(a) requires each local school system to maintain a public, searchable contract registry by August 1, 2026 for contracts over $10,000 funded with state money.
- Subsection (b) requires the Department of Education to create a registry template by January 1, 2026, listing 12 required data categories, including contractor names, funding sources, competitive bidding status, and past employment or contracting ties.
- Subsection (c) requires registries to be updated quarterly (August 1, November 1, February 1, May 1) and within 60 days of any new qualifying contract.
- Subsection (d) requires local boards of education to adopt implementing policies by July 1, 2026.
- Subsection (e) ties noncompliance to enforcement under an existing Code section (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-243).
- Subsection (f) exempts this requirement from waiver options normally available to strategic waivers school systems or charter systems.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: Jason Anavitarte, Freddie Sims, John Albers, Carden Summers, Chuck Hufstetler, Billy Hickman, Bill Cowsert, Ben Watson, Larry Walker, Lee Anderson, Shawn Still
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70933
> The history, votes, and amendments (240 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb295.md?full=1