SB423: SB423 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

This bill amends Georgia's campaign finance law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 5 of Title 21). It changes registration and reporting rules for political action committees and independent committees, including bank account requirements and disclosure deadlines. The bill's main new rule, effective after June 1, 2026, says contributions from 'non-Georgia persons' cannot exceed 50 percent of the total contributions a candidate or campaign committee receives in a reporting period. A non-Georgia person is defined based on voter registration, tax payments, or business registration in Georgia. If a campaign takes in too much money from non-Georgia sources, it must return the excess within 45 days or the money escheats (transfers) to the state. The bill exempts national-party transfers and family contributions, allows lawsuits to enforce the cap, and makes strawman schemes to dodge the cap a felony punishable by one to ten years in prison or a fine up to $10,000, or both.

• Requires political action committees to open and maintain a bank account before accepting or making contributions until the committee is terminated.
• Sets new campaign contribution disclosure filing dates (January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 20) for certain political action committees.
• Creates a definition of 'non-Georgia person' based on voter registration, state tax payments, and business registration or economic presence in Georgia.
• Caps contributions from non-Georgia persons at 50 percent of a candidate or campaign committee's total contributions per reporting period, starting after June 1, 2026.
• Requires excess non-Georgia contributions to be returned within 45 days or escheated (transferred) to the state if not returned.
• Makes it a felony to use strawman payments to funnel non-Georgia money around the contribution cap, punishable by one to ten years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both.

Candidates and their campaign committees, political action committees, independent committees, out-of-state donors, the Attorney General, Georgia residents who may file suit, and the state government office that would receive escheated funds.

Campaigns that rely heavily on out-of-state money would need to track donor residency and potentially return or forfeit funds exceeding the 50 percent cap. Donors and intermediaries who try to disguise out-of-state contributions could face felony prosecution, and committees face new bookkeeping and filing obligations.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34 to require political action committees to maintain a bank account and file disclosure reports on set dates, exempting committees with $25,000 or less in annual expenditures.
• Section 1 also updates independent committee disclosure requirements, including listing contributions and expenditures over $100 and disclosing who financed election-related communications.
• Section 2 adds a new subsection (h) to O.C.G.A. § 21-5-41 defining 'non-Georgia person' for individuals, business entities, and campaign committees.
• Section 2 caps non-Georgia contributions at 50 percent of total contributions received after June 1, 2026, and requires return of excess funds within 45 days or escheatment to the state.
• Section 2 exempts national political party transfers to state or local party committees and contributions from a candidate's family members.
• Section 2 allows the Attorney General or any Georgia resident to seek an injunction in superior court against excess non-Georgia contributions.
• Section 2 makes strawman transactions used to evade the contribution cap a felony punishable by one to ten years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

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