The Georgia Senate on Tuesday approved a revamp of the state’s campaign finance system that would prohibit the State Ethics Commission from accepting complaints against candidates for two months before an election.
Senate Bill 199 also would decrease the number of election-year reports candidates must file and make other changes to a system designed to give Georgia voters information about the people they elect. Here’s what you need to know:
Ethics complaints: Under the bill, the State Ethics Commission could not accept complaints against candidates for 60 days prior to an election — up from 30 days under the current commission policy. The move is intended to prevent the filing of frivolous complaints for political purposes before an election.
Campaign reports: Candidates for state and local offices would be required to disclose their contributions four times each year: Jan. 31, April 30, July 31 and Oct. 20. Currently, they must report their contributions six times during election years and twice during nonelection years.
Financial disclosures: The bill also standardizes the reporting schedule for candidates and public officials to disclose some details of their personal finances. They would file each year by April 1.
Lobbyist reports: SB 199 standardizes the schedule for lobbyists to report their activities to once a month.
Local candidates: Currently, candidates for local offices file campaign reports with local election officials. Under SB 199, they will begin filing with the State Ethics Commission in January 2027.
Home addresses: The bill would prevent the ethics commission from disclosing the home addresses of candidates and elected officials. The move comes amid an increase in threats and hoax 911 calls to elected officials’ homes.
What’s next: The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 55 to 0. It now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
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