# Georgia SB 472: Local Boards of Education; audit findings or findings by the state auditor of financial mismanagement or misconduct; provide for the suspension of members

Georgia SB 472, Local Boards of Education; audit findings or findings by the state auditor of financial mismanagement or misconduct; provide for the suspension of members, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Max Burns (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican) and 4 others; status signed, last action 2026-05-12 (Senate Date Signed by Governor) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB472-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Georgia SB 472
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Local Boards of Education; audit findings or findings by the state auditor of financial mismanagement or misconduct; provide for the suspension of members
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-06
- Last action: 2026-05-12, Senate Date Signed by Governor
- Sponsors: Max Burns (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Freddie Powell Sims (Democrat), Carden Summers (Republican), Blake Tillery (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Education, Education and Youth, General Bill
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (165 yes, 83 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 7

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- School officials cannot personally hold public money: benefit, low. Covered education officials and employees cannot keep state aid or other public money in personal bank accounts, even temporarily. The ban covers local school systems, public school governing bodies, state charter schools, and University System institutions. It also covers other schools receiving s…
- Superintendents face tighter contracts and qualifications: cost, low. Local school superintendent contracts must last one to three years. In systems designated high-risk, contract extensions cannot exceed 12 months; longer extensions are void. Contracts entered or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, must allow termination for cause after specified State Auditor finding…
- School board members face paid suspension: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the highest financial monitoring level or State Auditor financial mismanagement or misconduct findings can trigger suspension proceedings. Findings can involve the board, a member, the school system, or its superintendent. Only eligible board members serving when the designa…
- Schools face stronger financial monitoring: mixed, low. By July 1, 2026, the state audit department must begin monitoring local school systems’ and state charter schools’ finances. Support ranges from technical help and audits to major interventions with strict compliance requirements. The department must report on financial condition at appropriate int…
- Schools face yearly audits and oversight: mixed, low. Georgia’s Department of Audits and Accounts must perform or arrange yearly financial and compliance audits and issue reports. This covers local school systems, state charter schools, University System units, and other schools receiving state aid. Required outside audits need the State Auditor’s wri…
- Easier school consolidation changes taxing authority: mixed, low. A petition to end an independent school system needs signatures from 10% of qualified voters, down from 25%. A majority of those voting must approve joining the county school system or systems covering the area. Voters must have lived in the territory for six months before the election. Elections f…
- Schools face limits on funding advances: mixed, low. Advance state school funds generally cannot exceed 50% of the local unit’s state allotment from the prior fiscal year. The State Board of Education can approve more only with a written State Auditor recommendation and a financial oversight plan. The recommendation must find the larger advance neces…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Max Burns (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Billy Hickman (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Freddie Powell Sims (Democrat), Senate
- Sponsor: Carden Summers (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Blake Tillery (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Will Wade (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-27 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE | pass | 29 | 17 | 5 |
| 2026-03-25 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 96 | 58 | 7 |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 40 | 8 | 3 |

## Actions (16)

- 2026-05-12: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2026-05-12: Act 722
- 2026-05-12: Effective Date
- 2026-04-10: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- 2026-03-27: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- 2026-03-25: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- 2026-03-25: House Third Readers (House)
- 2026-03-25: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- 2026-03-04: House Second Readers (House)
- 2026-03-03: House First Readers (House)
- 2026-02-26: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Senate Hopper (Senate)

## Bill text

- SB 472/AP* (v9): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248167)

## Related bills

- SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed)
- SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed)
- SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed)
- SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed)
- HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed)
- HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed)

## Sources
- [SB 472/AP* (v9) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248167)

## Related
- [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026)
- [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026)
- [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026)
- [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026)
- [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026)
- [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB472-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).