--- title: SB 378. "Anti-Corruption Act"; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb378 cite_as: SB 378, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb378 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb378.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb378/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72066 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb377.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb379.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb378.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 378 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-04-04 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Colton Moore text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB378/2025 upstream_id: 2020897 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - campaign finance - lobbying rules - government transparency - political action committees - Georgia elections --- # SB 378. "Anti-Corruption Act"; enact ## Text 25 LC 47 3720 Senate Bill 378 By: Senator Moore of the 53rd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 government transparency and campaign finance, so as to prohibit leadership committees; to2 prohibit lobbying activities by any organization that is the be neficiary of public funds; to3 provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal4 conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Anti-Corruption Act."8 SECTION 2.9 Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to government10 transparency and campaign finance, is amended by revising Code Section 21-5-34.2, relating11 to leadership committee defined, operation, and separate from c ampaign committees, as12 follows:13 S. B. 378 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3720 "21-5-34.2.14 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'leadership committ ee' means a committee,15 corporation, or organization chaired by the Governor, the Lieut enant Governor, the16 nominee of a political party for Governor selected in a primary election in the year in17 which he or she is nominated, or the nominee of a political party for Lieutenant Governor18 selected in a primary election in the year in which he or she is nominated. Such term shall19 also mean up to two political action committees designated by the majority caucus of the20 House of Representatives, the minority caucus of the House of R epresentatives, the21 majority caucus of the Senate, and the minority caucus of the Senate. No person may chair22 more than one leadership committee.23 (b) Leadership committees shall be prohibited, and any leadership committee in existence24 on July 1, 2026, shall be prohibited from making further expend itures, return all25 contributions to the persons who made such contributions, and upon disposing of all assets26 dissolve its legal existence. A leadership committee may receive contributions from27 persons who are members or supporters of the leadership committee and expend such funds28 as permitted by this Code section.29 (c) If a person chairing a leadership committee ceases to hold the office or the status as a30 nominee of a political party as described in subsection (a) of this Code section, such person31 shall transfer the remaining assets of the leadership committee, if any, to another leadership32 committee within 60 days, name an eligible person as the new chairperson of the leadership33 committee within 60 days, or dispose of the leadership committee's assets as provided by34 Code Section 21-5-33.35 (d) A leadership committee may accept contributions or make expenditures for the purpose36 of affecting the outcome of any election or advocating for the election or defeat of any37 candidate, may defray ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with any38 candidate's campaign for elective office, and may defray ordinary and necessary expenses39 incurred in connection with a public officer's fulfillment or retention of such office.40 S. B. 378 - 2 - 25 LC 47 3720 (e) A leadership committee which accepts contributions or makes expenditures in excess41 of $500.00 shall register with the commission within ten days of such accepted contribution42 or such expenditure and, thereafter, shall file disclosure repo rts pursuant to the schedule43 defined for candidates and campaign committees in subsection (c ) of Code44 Section 21-5-34. Such disclosure reports shall be made pursuant to subsection (b) of Code45 Section 21-5-34. The contribution limits in Code Section 21-5- 41 shall not apply to46 contributions to a leadership committee or expenditures made by a leadership committee47 in support of a candidate or a group of named candidates. All communications paid for by48 expenditures of the leadership committee shall contain a discla imer, either audibly or in49 writing, that the communi cation is paid for by the leadership c ommittee, unless such50 disclaimer is impractical.51 (f) A leadership committee shall be a separate legal entity fr om a candidate's campaign52 committee and shall not be considered an independent committee."53 SECTION 3.54 Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:55 "21-5-77.56 On and after July 1, 2026, no organization of which the majorit y of the members are57 political subdivisions of this state, elected or appointed officers or officials of this state, or58 a county, municipality, school district, or other political sub division and which is the59 beneficiary of public funds appropriated by the state or any co unty, municipality,60 consolidated government, school system, or other political subd ivision shall engage in61 lobbying or make any lobbying expenditures."62 SECTION 4.63 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.64 S. B. 378 - 3 - 25 LC 47 3720 SECTION 5.65 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.66 S. B. 378 - 4 - ## 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 ban political "leadership committees" controlled by top state officials and bar government-affiliated organizations that receive public funding from lobbying, both starting July 1, 2026. ### Plain-language summary Georgia currently allows leadership committees, political fundraising groups chaired by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or certain party nominees and legislative caucus leaders, to raise unlimited contributions outside normal campaign finance limits. This bill, called the Anti-Corruption Act, would prohibit these leadership committees going forward. Any leadership committee still operating on July 1, 2026 would have to stop spending money, return all contributions, and dissolve. The bill also adds a brand new rule: organizations mostly made up of government officials or political subdivisions (like counties, cities, or school districts) that receive public funding would be barred from lobbying or spending money on lobbying. Both changes take effect July 1, 2026, and any conflicting Georgia laws would be repealed. ### What it does - Bans leadership committees chaired by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, certain party nominees, or legislative caucus political action committees, effective July 1, 2026. - Requires any leadership committee still active on July 1, 2026 to stop spending, refund all contributions, and legally dissolve. - Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-77) banning lobbying and lobbying expenditures by organizations mostly composed of government officials or subdivisions that receive public funding. - Sets the effective date for all changes as July 1, 2026 and repeals any state laws that conflict with the new rules. ### Who it affects The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial nominees, House and Senate majority and minority caucus political action committees, and any organizations made up largely of local or state government officials that receive public funds and currently lobby, such as associations of counties, cities, or school boards. ### Why it matters If enacted, top state officials and party leaders would lose a fundraising tool that currently lets them collect unlimited campaign contributions outside normal limits. Government-affiliated groups funded by taxpayer money, such as associations representing counties or school boards, would no longer be able to lobby state or local officials. ### Key provisions - Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34.2, keeping the definition of a leadership committee but adding subsection (b), which prohibits leadership committees and requires existing ones to stop spending and dissolve by July 1, 2026. - Section 2 also allows a chairperson who leaves office to transfer committee assets to another leadership committee or name a new chair within 60 days, or dispose of assets under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-33. - Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 21-5-77, barring lobbying or lobbying spending by organizations that are majority government officials or subdivisions and receive public funding, starting July 1, 2026. - Section 4 sets the overall effective date of the Act as July 1, 2026. - Section 5 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new provisions. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-04-04) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Colton Moore - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72066 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb378.md?full=1