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Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick Celebrates Signing of Consumer Protection Measure to Return Unclaimed Funds to Georgians

ATLANTA (May 8, 2026) — Senator Kay Kirkpatrick (R–Marietta) today announced that Senate Bill 403, legislation she sponsored to make it easier for Georgians to recover unclaimed funds held by the state, was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp. Gov. Kemp signed the measure into law on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the State Capitol.

“SB 403 is a great step for helping Georgians find and retrieve unclaimed property held by the state,” said Sen. Kirkpatrick (R–Marietta). “This is a consumer protection bill, and I am thankful that the bill has now been signed.”

“I am proud that Governor Kemp signed SB 403 into law to make the process more efficient and less burdensome for Georgians to recover their owed funds, such as old utility deposits and other amounts owed to them,” said Representative Matt Reeves (R–Duluth). “SB 403 will also make it easier for families to claim money that belonged to a deceased relative by bypassing the probate court process in some cases. This new law is a win for all Georgians, making it easier than ever to search for and claim unclaimed funds. I urge residents to visit the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website to learn more and search for owed money.”

SB 403 updates Georgia law governing the disposition of unclaimed property by clarifying that property will not be considered abandoned if the apparent owner has demonstrated interest in the account, including by making changes to or directing activity within it. The legislation also streamlines the claims process for heirs of a deceased owner by eliminating the requirement for a probate court order in certain cases. Instead, heirs may submit an affidavit signed by all heirs, provided the total value of the unclaimed property held by the department does not exceed $7,500.

The legislation is intended to reduce unnecessary barriers for Georgians attempting to recover funds owed to them while modernizing portions of the state’s unclaimed property process. The full text of SB 403 may be found here.

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Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick serves as Chairwoman of the Children and Families Committee and Secretary of the Senate Majority Caucus. She represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes portions of Cobb and Cherokee counties. She may be reached by phone at 404.656.3932 or by email at Kay.Kirkpatrick@senate.ga.gov.

Representative Matt Reeves represents the citizens of District 99 which includes a portion of Gwinnett County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and as Secretary of the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Insurance committees.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Brian Strickland Celebrates Signing of Rio’s Law to Protect Georgians with Developmental Disabilities

ATLANTA (May 6, 2026) — This week, Sen. Brian Strickland (R–McDonough) celebrated Governor Brian Kemp’s signing of Senate Bill 433, also known as “Rio’s Law.” This landmark legislation aims to improve interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

Authored by Sen. Strickland, the bill creates a voluntary specialized license plate designation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities and their families, and requires specialized training for Georgia peace officers beginning January 1, 2027.

“Today is a major step forward for families across Georgia who simply want safer, more informed interactions with law enforcement,” said Sen. Strickland. “Rio’s Law is about compassion, understanding and ensuring officers have the tools and training necessary to recognize and appropriately respond to individuals with developmental disabilities. This legislation has been one of my top priorities because these families deserve to feel seen, protected and supported.”

Under SB 433, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council will work alongside the Department of Community Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and nonprofit organizations to develop training on effective communication, behavioral recognition, de-escalation techniques and emergency response protocols involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

“Rio’s Law represents the kind of thoughtful, people-centered policy that can make a real difference in everyday lives,” Sen. Strickland added. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in both the Senate and House for unanimously supporting this effort, and I thank Governor Kemp for signing it into law.”

Senate Bill 433 takes effect on January 1, 2027. You can find more information about the measure here.

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Sen. Brian Strickland serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. He represents the 42nd Senate District, which includes Morgan County and portions of Henry, Newton and Walton counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0508 or by email at Brian.Strickland@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Legislation to Aid Victims of Investment Scams Becomes Law

ATLANTA (April 24, 2026) — Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker (R–Perry) applauds Governor Brian P. Kemp for signing into law Senate Bill 284, sponsored by Walker, to strengthen protections for Georgians targeted by financial fraud.

SB 284 grants the Securities Division within the Secretary of State’s Office additional regulatory authority, ensuring stronger enforcement against bad actors. Prior to the enactment of Walker’s bill, the Division could only issue civil penalties and direct fines to the state treasury. Under this new law, regulators can now require fraudsters to repay victims directly, returning stolen funds to the individuals who were bilked.

“Exploiting hardworking Georgians now comes with additional consequences for the perpetrators under this legislation,” said Sen. Walker. “The safety and security of our residents is always at the forefront of our work in the Georgia Senate, and sadly, we’re seeing increasingly frequent and sophisticated schemes targeting people’s financial assets, especially those of our senior citizens. The victims of these con artists deserve to get their money back, and by empowering the Securities Division to force repayment, we are holding fraudsters accountable and restoring the hard-earned savings of Georgians.”

SB 284 reinforces Georgia’s commitment to a fair, secure and transparent securities marketplace, ensuring that the financial risk inherent with investments is matched with strong consumer protections.

You can read more about SB 284 here.

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Sen. Larry Walker III serves as President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate. He represents the 20thSenate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen and Wilcox counties, as well as a portion of Houston County.  He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov

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Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte Applauds Funding for Dallas Public Library

ATLANTA (April 17, 2026) — Today, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas) praised the $3 million allocation in the Georgia General Assembly’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the renovation of the Dallas Public Library. This investment will expand access to educational resources, technology and community spaces for Paulding County residents through the West Georgia Regional Library System.

“Paulding County is one of the fastest-growing counties in our state, and this investment ensures our infrastructure keeps pace with that growth,” said Leader Anavitarte. “We were proud to lead the effort, alongside Representative Martin Momtahan and my fellow Paulding delegation members, to secure this important project for our community. The Dallas Public Library will be a major asset for students and families, strengthening literacy and supporting education across Paulding County for years to come.”

While the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget included $3 million towards the project to match local funds of over $1.6 million for the project in collaboration with Paulding County government. The funding will be utilized for the first major renovation of the library since it was originally built in 1978- since then the population of Paulding County has increased over 650%. The budget now awaits the Governor’s signature to become law.

The conference committee version of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which outlines the final agreements between the House and Senate on key spending priorities, may be read here.

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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 31st Senate District, which includes Polk County and a portion of Paulding County. He may be reached via email at Jason.Anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte and Rep. Trey Kelley Announce Plans to Honor Larry Haney with Intersection Dedication

ATLANTA (March 27, 2026) — This week, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas) announced plans to designate the intersection of SR 6/US-278 and Prospect Road in Polk County as the “Larry Haney Memorial Intersection” during the next legislative session. A lifelong resident of Rockmart, Larry Haney was a well-known local businessman who owned and operated Haney Farm & Ranch Supply, Haney Powersports, and Sidekicks Restaurant. He passed away Sunday morning, March 22, 2026, at the age of 73.

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