SB 295: State Board of Education; local school systems to maintain and publish a registry of all contracts worth more than $10,000.00; require

Senate Bill 295

By: Senators Anavitarte of the 31st, Sims of the 12th, Albers of the 56th, Summers of the 13th, Hufstetler of the 52nd and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Part 8 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to State Board of Education under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to require local school systems to maintain and publish a registry of all contracts worth more than $10,000.00 involving the use of any state funds; to provide for such information to be included on the contract registry; to require local boards of education to adopt policies; to provide for enforcement; to prohibit waivers; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Part 8 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to State Board of Education under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"20-2-245.

(a) By August 1, 2026, each local school system shall maintain a contract registry that includes a complete record of all contracts, agreements, and other financial obligations by any other name in an amount greater than $10,000.00, if such contract, agreement, or other obligation is paid for or otherwise financed in whole or in part using state funds. Such contract registry shall be prominently posted and readily searchable on the local school system's public website. Such contract registry shall include the information required in subsection (b) of this Code section.

(b) By January 1, 2026, the Department of Education shall create a template for local school systems' contract registries required by this Code section. Such template shall provide for the contract registry to include the information relevant to the public's right to know how tax dollars are being spent or obligated, to whom and for what purposes such tax dollars are being obligated, and shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(1) Name of the contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee;

(2) Contract initiation and end dates;

(3) Contract renewal and extension options, if any;

(4) Contract payment terms;

(5) Total contract amount or obligation;

(6) Contract funding source or sources;

(7) Contract spending category;

(8) A brief description of the purpose of the contract, including, but not limited to, what goods, services, and other things of value are being purchased, leased, received, or otherwise procured;

(9) Whether the contract was competitively procured, and if not, an explanation for why competitive procurement was not used or required;

(10) The names of each officer of the contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee and of each individual who signed or otherwise executed the contract on behalf of the contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee;

(11) Whether any individual identified pursuant to paragraph (10) of this subsection, or any individuals lobbying for such contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee, was employed by the local school system or its local board of education in the previous five years; and

(12) Whether the local board of education or the local school system contracted with such contracting entity, contractor, vendor, or payee in the previous five years, and if so, when.

(c)(1) Each local school system's contract registry shall be regularly updated and not less often than by August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1 each year.

(2) Each local school system shall have no more than 60 days from the initiation of a contract, agreement, and other financial obligation by any other name in an amount greater than $10,000.00 to update its contract registry to include the information required in subsection (b) of this Code section.

(d) By July 1, 2026, each local board of education shall establish policies to implement the requirements of this Code section.

(e) If a local board of education fails to comply with any provision of this Code section, compliance shall be subject to enforcement pursuant to Code Section 20-2-243.

(f) This Code section shall not be subject to waiver pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for a strategic waivers school system or Code Section 20-2-2063.2 or 20-2-2065 for a charter system."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.