A bill put forward by State Rep. Houston Gaines in the Georgia House targets heightened oversight and openness for foreign funding in public education, as noted by the Georgia State House.
Filed as HB1379 on Wednesday, Feb. 18, during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the measure carries the formal title: ’Foreign Funding Transparency and Accountability Act; enact’.
This summary, based on the actual bill text, provides clarification of the bill’s requirements.
Essentially, the act directs Georgia public education bodies—including state universities, technical colleges and public schools—to begin filing twice-yearly reports on funds received from foreign sources starting in 2027. These reports, submitted to the attorney general and the Department of Accounts and Audits, must outline amounts, categories, intended use of funds, name the foreign source, and supply relevant contracts. Additional specifics are necessary for funds from specified foreign countries, entities, or persons of concern, including any impact on curriculum, research, personnel, as well as how academic freedom and cybersecurity are protected. The required reports, with redactions for sensitive information, must be made available online. Tuition and fees paid by individuals or families are excluded. The law is set to take effect July 1, 2026, and an earlier foreign funding reporting statute will be repealed on Jan. 1, 2027.
Co-sponsors include Rep. John Carson (Republican-46th), Sen. Max Burns (Republican-23rd), and Rep. Brent Cox (Republican-28th), with two more legislators also backing the bill.
Since the session began, Gaines has introduced an additional 12 measures, of which four have been passed.
Gaines holds a BA from the University of Georgia.
A Republican, Gaines was elected to the Georgia State House in 2023 for District 120, succeeding former representative Trey Rhodes.
The lawmaking process in Georgia involves lawmakers drafting proposals, often with help from the Office of Legislative Counsel, then submitting bills to the House or Senate. After the bill’s first reading, it is sent to a committee for review. If it passes the committee, it moves to the full chamber for debate and a vote. Bills must pass both chambers—sometimes through a conference committee—to become law. The governor then has six days within the session, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to approve, reject, or allow the bill to take effect without a signature. The General Assembly meets for 40 days each year, starting the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB852 | 03/25/2025 | Athens-Clarke County; Board of Elections and Registration; reconstitute and reestablish |
| HB851 | 03/25/2025 | Athens-Clarke County; Board of Elections and Registration; provide for abolition on a date certain |
| HB839 | 03/25/2025 | Jackson County; board of commissioners; filling vacancies; revise provisions |
| HB577 | 02/21/2025 | Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory Act; enact |
| HB558 | 02/20/2025 | State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; establish adult workforce high school diploma program |
| HB454 | 02/13/2025 | Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act; enact |
| HB417 | 02/12/2025 | Education; tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities; revise definition of approved school |
| HB370 | 02/10/2025 | Ad valorem tax; school districts; state-wide base year homestead exemption; provisions |
| HB296 | 02/05/2025 | Motor vehicles; presentation of a driver’s license in a certain electronic format; provisions |
| HB295 | 02/05/2025 | Local government; procedures for real property owners to make claims for compensation for loss of property value or expenses incurred; provisions |
| HB288 | 02/05/2025 | Appeal and error; declaratory judgments in instances involving accusations made by a prosecuting attorney regarding credibility of a peace officer; provide |
| HB246 | 02/04/2025 | Courts; office of sheriff and training of peace officers; revise qualification requirements |
The Georgia State House was the source for information in this story. Source data is available here.
