SR 563: Georgia Secretary of State; request of the United States Department of Justice to securely produce Georgia's voter registration list; urge

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Discussed in meetings (7)

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. Senate Ethics Committee, January 22, 2026

   From 0:29:34 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the resolution urges the secretary of state to securely provide Georgia's voter registration list to the U.S. Department of Justice, following constituent concerns about cooperation. The sponsor said the secretary's office declined to attend because of pending litigation. One member questioned whether disclosure would violate Georgia law and expose private information. Another urged waiting for legal guidance, warning that released information could not be retrieved. Committee counsel said Georgia law permits some sharing, but counsel lacked enough information about the federal request to give a firm opinion. The sponsor argued that federal laws authorize the request and that federal systems protect sensitive information. A supporting member compared the request with existing interstate data sharing. Another member questioned access by outside users and Homeland Security's use of the data for immigration-related purposes. The sponsor could not confirm who would have access but expressed confidence in federal safeguards. The committee advanced the resolution by voice vote, with opposition heard and no count stated. Afterward, two State Election Board representatives supported sharing, citing voter-roll concerns. Asked to quantify cross-state voting, one representative clarified that these were allegations and said the board had received 10 possible cases from the Justice Department.

2. Senate Rules Committee, January 28, 2026

   From 0:05:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described SR 563 as an urging resolution asking the Secretary of State to participate in a Department of Justice investigation related to election integrity. No committee members asked questions or offered substantive discussion. The sponsor selected the resolution for consideration on the Senate floor the following day. After a motion and second, the committee voted by show of hands. The chair reported three votes against and the rest in favor, declared the motion carried, and said the resolution would be on the floor the next day.

3. Senate Rules Committee, January 29, 2026

   From 0:03:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair added SR 563 to the list of available measures, noting that it had just been on the floor. Later, the chair said it would return to the floor on Monday. No explanation of its provisions or substantive debate occurred. The committee unanimously approved placing it on Monday’s floor calendar together with two other measures.

4. Senate floor session, February 2, 2026 (legislative day 10)

   From 1:51:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Engrossed)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SR 563 urges the Secretary of State to securely provide Georgia's voter registration list to the U.S. Department of Justice under federal voting laws. The sponsor argued Georgia law permits confidential sharing of sensitive voter information with authorized government agencies. The Senate first voted 31 to 21 to prevent amendments. The minority leader opposed the resolution, citing a federal case that, according to the minority leader, showed the department sharing voter information with Homeland Security for purposes beyond voter-list maintenance. Another opponent argued Georgia law restricts disclosure and the Secretary of State was following those protections. Other opponents raised privacy concerns, possible voter intimidation and federal interference in the 2026 elections, particularly following the FBI's seizure of Fulton County election records. One supporter described the resolution as accountability across party lines. A second supporter argued confidential disclosure would promote transparency and protect state control of elections. The senator presenting the minority report argued the resolution served gubernatorial primary politics and challenged claims that privacy concerns were unfounded. Questions to that senator focused largely on political consistency and motives. In closing, the sponsor reiterated the call for cooperation. The Senate adopted the resolution, 31 to 22.

• Read aloud: Senate floor session, January 14, 2026 (legislative day 3), 0:36:28
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, January 27, 2026 (legislative day 7), 0:25:19
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, January 28, 2026 (legislative day 8), 0:29:27

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