HB963: HB963 Elections; prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to or participating in any campaign

Georgia law already regulates campaign contributions, but this bill adds specific rules for ballot measure campaigns, covering constitutional amendments, state-wide referendums, and local ballot questions. It defines who counts as a 'foreign national' (including foreign individuals, governments, political parties, and certain foreign-controlled businesses) and makes it illegal for them to direct, control, or fund such campaigns, including early 'preliminary activity' like polling or drafting ballot language. Campaign committees that raise more than $500 for a ballot question must register with the State Election Board (called the commission) and certify that no foreign national funded preliminary work and that no donor is a foreign national or has funneled more than $100,000 from foreign nationals in the past four years. The bill also limits how much donor identity information government agencies, courts, and investigators can collect or disclose, protecting lawful donors unless a violation is confirmed. Violations are punished under the state's existing campaign finance penalty law.

• Bars foreign nationals, defined as certain non-citizens, foreign governments, foreign political parties, and foreign-controlled businesses, from funding or directing Georgia ballot measure campaigns.
• Requires campaign committees for ballot questions to register and certify that no foreign national funded early 'preliminary activity' like polling or drafting ballot language.
• Requires committees to certify with each disclosure report that no donor is a foreign national or has funneled over $100,000 from foreign nationals in the past four years.
• Requires committees to obtain a written affirmation from each donor confirming they are not a foreign national and have not exceeded the $100,000 foreign-money threshold.
• Limits when government agencies, courts, and investigators can collect or publicly disclose the identity of lawful donors to tax-exempt organizations.
• Applies existing campaign finance penalties (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-9) to willful violations of the new donor-disclosure protections.

Ballot-question campaign committees in Georgia, including those working on constitutional amendments, state-wide referendums, and county or municipal ballot questions; individual donors to those campaigns; foreign individuals, governments, and foreign-controlled businesses; and state agencies, courts, and investigators handling campaign finance enforcement.

Ballot measure campaigns would face new paperwork and certification duties before accepting money, and donors would have to attest they are not foreign nationals. At the same time, the bill limits how much donor identity information the government can collect or release, affecting transparency around who funds these campaigns.

• Section 1 amends definitions in O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3, adding terms for 'foreign national,' 'foreign political party,' 'directly or indirectly,' and 'preliminary activity.'
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34 to require ballot-question committees raising or spending over $500 to register and file certifications with each disclosure report affirming donors are not foreign nationals.
• Section 2 also requires a separate certification that no foreign national funded preliminary campaign activity such as polling, focus groups, or drafting ballot language.
• Section 3 creates new Code Section 21-5-37, banning foreign nationals from directing, controlling, or soliciting contributions for ballot measure campaigns.
• Section 3 requires committees to obtain donor affirmations that they have not funneled more than $100,000 in foreign national money within the prior four years.
• Section 3 restricts government entities, courts, and officers of the court from collecting or disclosing lawful donor identities except in confirmed violation cases, with violations punished under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-9.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-31Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2026-03-31Senate Engrossed (Senate)
4. 2026-03-23Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2026-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
6. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted (House)
8. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)

• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)Primary sponsor
• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
• John Carson (R, HD-046)
• Shaw Blackmon (R, HD-146)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   140 yea, 24 nay (1 not voting, 12 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #633

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   33 yea, 15 nay (2 not voting, 4 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Hb 52, Hb 248, Hb 963, Hb 964, Hb 1001, Hb 1077, Hb 1116, Hb 1129, Hb 1132, Hb 1209: Senate Vote #876

• campaign finance
• election law
• ballot measures
• foreign national donors
• donor privacy