Bill would require disclosure of foreign donations to Georgia public schools and colleges

Representative Gaines presented House Bill 1379 (LC610442S), saying it expands last year's transparency law to include additional countries of concern and to K'12 and Technical College System institutions, and requires public reporting for donations above $10,000. "What we're trying to do is just provide some transparency of any influence and curriculum that's trying to impact our young people across the state," Gaines told the committee.

The bill uses federal designations to identify countries of particular concern as of Jan. 1, 2026, and adds a separate special-watch list of nations. Gaines said the measure was limited to make it workable for K'12 and technical-college implementation and stressed it is a reporting requirement, not a ban. "All this does is public disclosure," he said.

During questioning, committee members pressed the author about how the covered nations are listed and whether the bill would automatically mirror future federal lists. Gaines said the bill fixes the reference date so the state would apply the federal list as it existed on 01/01/2026, rather than automatically adopting future federal changes. He read examples from Department of State designations including Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia and Saudi Arabia, plus special-watch countries such as Algeria and Vietnam.

State Rep. Ester Panitch testified in support and cited a report she said shows Qatar-linked funding to Georgia institutions and district-level programs. "They had teachers go to these trainings in Doha, come back, and then put up maps that remove Israel from a modern map of the Middle East," Panitch said, arguing the public has a right to know who is funding curriculum-related activities. Panitch also described having been contacted by the Qatari ambassador after she shared the report on social media; she told the committee the embassy challenged her characterization but, she said, did not contest the underlying facts as she presented them.

Opponents on the committee raised operational concerns about applying the reporting requirement to K'12 schools and asked who in a district would be responsible for tracking foreign-funded activities. Senator O'Rourke called the proposal "sweeping" and questioned whether a compelling case for including all public schools had been presented. Committee members also sought clarity about enforcement; Gaines said the attorney general would be authorized to withhold state funding only if institutions fail to report required grants.

Gaines told the panel that committee packets include examples of past funding flows, citing a $65,000 grant from "Cutter Foundation International" and a Qatar-funded scholarship and student exchange programs as illustrations of why disclosure matters. Members requested those materials be circulated.

After discussion, Senator Williams moved a due-pass recommendation; Senator Payne seconded. The chair recorded four in favor and three opposed, advancing the bill out of committee with a recommendation to pass.

What happens next: the committee recommended House Bill 1379 for passage and indicated further conversation is likely as the bill goes to the floor and to other committees for additional scrutiny.