SB 423: Government Transparency; campaign committees, independent committees, political action committees, and leadership committees from accepting contributions or donations from non-Georgia persons that exceed 50 percent of all contributions received; prohibit

Georgia currently has no limit on how much of a candidate's campaign money can come from donors outside the state. This bill would change that starting June 1, 2026, by prohibiting candidates and campaign committees from accepting contributions from 'non-Georgia persons' that add up to more than 50 percent of all money raised in a reporting period. A 'non-Georgia person' is defined based on voter registration, tax payments, or business registration in Georgia. Excess out-of-state money would have to be returned within 45 days or turned over to the state. The bill also exempts political action committees that spend $25,000 or less a year on candidates from certain registration and reporting rules, and requires independent committees running broadcast, cable, radio, or internet ads to disclose information already required under federal law, making failure to do so a violation subject to civil penalties. It also makes strawman schemes to dodge the new contribution cap a felony, and allows the Attorney General or any Georgia resident to seek a court injunction against violations.

• Bars candidates and campaign committees from accepting contributions from non-Georgia persons that exceed 50 percent of all contributions received in a reporting period, starting June 1, 2026.
• Requires excess out-of-state contributions to be returned within 45 days of the reporting period ending, or else the funds escheat (transfer) to the state.
• Exempts political action committees that spend $25,000 or less per year on candidates from the standard registration and disclosure filing requirements.
• Requires independent committees running political ads on broadcast, cable, radio, or the internet to disclose information already required by federal law, making noncompliance a civil violation.
• Makes it a felony, punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison or a fine up to $10,000, to use a strawman transaction to funnel non-Georgia money around the new contribution cap.
• Allows the Attorney General or any Georgia resident to petition a superior court for an injunction against excess contributions or to force their return or escheatment.

Candidates for state and local office, their campaign committees, political action committees, independent committees running election-related ads, out-of-state donors and businesses, the Georgia Attorney General, and Georgia residents who could petition courts to enforce the new contribution cap.

Campaigns that rely heavily on out-of-state donors would need to track donor residency and tax status closely, return excess funds quickly, or risk losing that money to the state. Smaller PACs would face less paperwork, while anyone trying to disguise out-of-state money as in-state contributions would face felony charges.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34 to exempt PACs spending $25,000 or less annually on candidates from registration and reporting requirements.
• Section 1 also requires independent committees running broadcast, cable, radio, or internet ads to disclose information required under federal law, with violations subject to civil penalties under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-6.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-5-41 to define 'non-Georgia person' based on voter registration, individual or corporate tax payments, or business registration in Georgia.
• Section 2 caps non-Georgia contributions at 50 percent of total contributions received per reporting period, effective after June 1, 2026.
• Section 2 requires return of excess out-of-state contributions within 45 days or escheatment to the state if not returned.
• Section 2 exempts national-to-state party committee transfers and contributions from a candidate's family members from the cap.
• Section 2 allows the Attorney General or any Georgia resident to seek a court injunction to stop spending of excess funds or force their return or escheatment.
• Section 2 makes strawman transactions used to evade the contribution cap a felony punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

1. 2026-03-31House Tabled (House)
2. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
5. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-03-06Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-03-06Senate Engrossed (Senate)

• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)Primary sponsor
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   32 yea, 22 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Sb 423, Sb 515, Sb 566, Sb 568, Sb 573, Sr 838: Senate Vote #640

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   33 yea, 21 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #650

• campaign finance
• election rules
• government transparency
• political action committees
• out-of-state donations