HB1362: HB1362 Public officers; persons having certain financial interest shall be ineligible to hold certain public offices; provide

Georgia already bars certain full-time and part-time state officials from having a financial stake in contracts with the agencies they work for (O.C.G.A. § 45-10-22 and § 45-10-24), but the law includes exceptions for small purchases, sealed competitive bids, and approved property leases. HB1362 adds a new section (O.C.G.A. § 45-2-1.1) that specifically makes the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, and the Commissioners of Agriculture, Labor, and Insurance ineligible to hold office if they, or a family member, have a financial interest in a state or federal contract or transact business with a state or federal agency. The bill also rewrites the definitions section (§45-10-20) to add a specific definition of 'financial interest,' removes the existing small-transaction and sealed-bid exceptions from the ban on full-time statewide officials' conflicts of interest, and adds a new disclosure requirement (§45-10-26) for officials whose business interest falls just short of a 'financial interest.' Existing penalty provisions in §45-10-28 continue to apply.

• Creates a new Code section (§45-2-1.1) making a specific list of top statewide officials ineligible to hold office if they or a family member have a financial interest in a state or federal contract, or transact business with a state or federal agency.
• Adds a formal definition of 'financial interest' to §45-10-20, covering any ownership stake or stockholding except holdings under 3 percent of a corporation.
• Removes the existing exceptions (sealed bids, transactions under $250/$9,000 aggregate, and approved property leases) that previously shielded full-time statewide officials from the conflict-of-interest ban in §45-10-22.
• Adds a new disclosure requirement in §45-10-26 for public officials whose business interest is smaller than a full 'financial interest,' requiring them to report transactions with the state.
• Leaves the existing penalty framework in §45-10-28 in place for violations of the prohibitions and disclosure failures.

The bill directly names the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, and the Commissioners of Agriculture, Labor, and Insurance. It also affects other full-time and part-time state public officials and employees, and the businesses or family members in which they hold a financial stake.

If a named top official or a close family member holds a financial stake in a state or federal contract, this bill provides a specific legal basis for removing that person from office. It also closes exceptions that previously let some officials engage in small transactions or leases without penalty, and it widens who must publicly disclose business dealings with the state.

• Section 1 creates new Code Section 45-2-1.1, listing the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, and Commissioners of Agriculture, Labor, and Insurance as ineligible to hold office if they or family have a disqualifying financial interest or transact business with a state or federal agency.
• Section 2 revises definitions in §45-10-20, adding a new definition of 'financial interest' as any direct or indirect ownership or stockholding except holdings under 3 percent of a corporation.
• Section 3 revises §45-10-22 and removes the prior list of exceptions (sealed bids, small transactions, approved leases) that had applied to full-time statewide officials' conflict-of-interest ban.
• Section 6 revises the introductory language of §45-10-25 on exceptions to the prohibitions in §§45-10-22 through 45-10-24.
• Section 7 revises §45-10-26 and adds a new subsection (a.1) requiring officials with an interest smaller than a full 'financial interest' to also disclose business transactions with the state to the State Ethics Commission by January 31 each year.
• Section 8 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-24House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-19House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-18House Hopper (House)

• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)Primary sponsor
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Jutt Howard (R, HD-071)

• public ethics
• conflicts of interest
• state officials
• financial disclosure
• state contracts