HB1130: HB1130 Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures (SECURE) Act; enact

Georgia's campaign finance law (O.C.G.A. Title 21, Chapter 5) currently limits how candidates and officeholders can spend campaign contributions, generally to costs tied directly to running for or holding office. This bill, called the SECURE Act, would add a new category of allowed spending: reasonable costs for security equipment and monitoring services, defined as 'security expenditures.' It sets conditions on that spending, including bans on using the money for unrelated property improvements, weapons, or payments to family or staff for installing the equipment. The bill also requires that any security equipment bought this way be returned when a campaign ends or a term of office expires, unless the candidate or officer personally reimburses the full cost. It adds itemized reporting requirements to the state ethics commission for these expenses. Separately, it gives candidates or treasurers up to 30 days to comply with requests to inspect campaign accounts, with civil or criminal penalties for failing to do so.

• Adds a new legal definition of 'security expenditures' covering reasonable costs for security equipment and monitoring services, including installation by licensed providers.
• Allows campaign contributions to pay for a candidate's or officeholder's personal security during a campaign or term of office, subject to specific limits.
• Bars using security funds for unrelated property improvements, firearms or ammunition, or payments to family or campaign staff for installation or monitoring.
• Requires security equipment bought with campaign funds to be returned after the campaign or term ends unless the candidate personally repays the full cost.
• Requires itemized reporting to the state ethics commission, including invoices and provider licensing information, for each security-related expenditure.
• Sets a 30 day deadline for candidates or treasurers to comply with account inspection requests and creates civil or criminal penalties for noncompliance.

Candidates for elected office in Georgia, sitting public officers, campaign committee treasurers and chairpersons, and licensed security service providers who install equipment or provide monitoring. The state ethics commission that oversees campaign finance reporting is also affected, since it would receive new itemized reports and enforce inspection deadlines.

Candidates and officeholders facing safety concerns would gain a clear, legal way to pay for security using campaign money instead of personal funds, but the spending would be capped, reported in detail, and generally temporary. Voters and watchdogs would get new reporting data and a firmer timeline for reviewing campaign accounts.

• Section 2 adds a definition of 'security expenditures' to Georgia's campaign finance definitions (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3).
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-5-32 to give candidates or treasurers up to 30 days to comply with account inspection requests, with civil penalties under § 21-5-6 or criminal penalties under § 21-5-9 for noncompliance.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-5-33 to permit campaign funds to cover personal security costs during a campaign or term of office, with restrictions on property improvements, weapons purchases, and payments to family or staff.
• Section 4 also requires security equipment bought with campaign funds to be returned when the campaign or term ends, unless the candidate reimburses the full cost from personal funds.
• Section 4 requires itemized reporting to the commission on each security expenditure, including invoices and, where applicable, the security provider's licensing information.
• Section 1 gives the Act its short title, the Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures (SECURE) Act.

1. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-02-04House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-03House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-02House Hopper (House)

• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)

• campaign finance
• candidate security
• election law
• government transparency
• campaign spending rules