09 LC
35 1099
Senate
Bill 34
By:
Senator Buckner of the 44th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to ethics in government, so as to prohibit certain public officials, their
employees, and agencies from expending public funds to make, publish, or
distribute certain publications immediately preceding an election; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to ethics in
government, is amended in Code Section 21-5-11, relating to acceptance by public
officers of monetary fees or honoraria, by adding a new subsection to read as
follows:
"(d)
No elected public official or his or her employee shall expend public funds for
the purpose of publishing, making, or distributing a newsletter during the 45
days preceding an election in which such elected public official appears on the
ballot of such
election."
SECTION
2.
Said
chapter is further amended in subsection (b) of Code Section 21-5-30.2,
relating to contributions by public agencies, as follows:
"(b)
No agency and no person acting on behalf of an agency shall make, directly or
indirectly, any contribution to any campaign committee, political action
committee, or political organization or to any candidate; but nothing in this
Code section shall prohibit the furnishing of office space, facilities,
equipment, goods, or services to a public officer for use by the public officer
in such officer's fulfillment of such office.
An agency
shall be prohibited from expending public funds to make, publish, or distribute
a publication, including a newsletter, memorandum, e-mail, or other similar
material, for the purpose of criticizing or endorsing a political
candidate."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.