BillTrack50 logo
Free Signup Login
Bill

Bill > SB199

GA SB199

GA SB199
State Ethics Commission; shall not accept or reject complaints made against candidates 60 days prior to an election; provide

summary

Introduced
02/19/2025
In Committee
03/20/2025
Crossed Over
03/04/2025
Passed
04/07/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
05/14/2025

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

AN ACT To amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to government transparency and campaign finance, so as to provide that the State Ethics Commission shall not accept or reject complaints made against candidates 60 days prior to an election; to provide that campaign and personal finance disclosure reports for local elected officials shall be filed with the commission instead of locally; to provide that certain local elected officials shall affirm their duty to complete all statutorily required training and supplemental education for their offices; to provide uniform reporting dates for campaigns for all levels of office; to provide for registration of certain political action committees; to require certain political action committees to maintain bank accounts; to provide disclosure reporting requirements for certain political action committees; to revise and make more uniform reporting dates for personal financial disclosure statements for office holders and candidates; to revise provisions related to reporting income on personal financial disclosure statements for office holders; to provide that the commission shall not publicly release home address information in its possession; to revise lobbyist reporting requirements to make the reporting dates for such requirements more uniform; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

AI Summary

This bill makes several significant changes to Georgia's ethics and campaign finance laws. It prohibits the State Ethics Commission from accepting or rejecting complaints against candidates during the 60 days immediately preceding an election, which aims to prevent potential last-minute politically motivated ethics complaints. The bill mandates that campaign and personal finance disclosure reports for local elected officials (county and municipal) will now be filed directly with the State Ethics Commission instead of local authorities. It also introduces new reporting requirements for political action committees, including a requirement to open and maintain a dedicated bank account. The bill modifies reporting dates for campaign contributions and financial disclosures, generally standardizing them to four times per year (January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 20). Additionally, the bill introduces provisions to protect the privacy of public officials by requiring the commission to redact home addresses from public records. For local and county officials, the bill requires an affirmation acknowledging mandatory training requirements when qualifying for office. The changes will be implemented gradually, with full implementation set to occur by January 1, 2027, providing a transition period for local governments and political entities to adapt to the new requirements.

Committee Categories

Government Affairs

Sponsors (12)

Last Action

Effective Date 2026-01-01 (on 05/14/2025)

bill text

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...