ATLANTA, GA March 22, 2000 .… Secretary of State Cathy Cox today applauded final passage by the General Assembly of SB 499, which amends the Georgia Charitable Solicitations Act to strengthen regulation of paid solicitors who raise funds for charitable organizations.

The measure, sponsored on behalf of the Secretary of State by Senator Jack Hill (D-Reidsville), amends current state charities law to require that those who perform charitable solicitation work register with the state and submit to a criminal background check. Individuals with a history of criminal conduct or fraud may be barred from the industry. The changes apply only to principals and employees of paid solicitor firms, not to charities themselves or to volunteers who work on behalf of a charity. The bill also:

• Requires that paid solicitors disclose to potential contributors that the solicitation is being made by a paid person and not by a charitable volunteer,
• Requires charitable solicitors to provide detailed financial reports to the charities they work for and to the Secretary of State within 30 days of the conclusion of a fundraising campaign,
• Requires solicitor firms who have physical possession or control over any contributions collected to submit a financial statement to the state.

"Passage of SB 499 is good news for every generous Georgian who is targeted by charitable solicitation campaigns," said Secretary of State Cox. "While the vast majority of Georgia charities do important work and handle funds responsibly, some paid solicitors abuse the good faith of consumers. With these new provisions we will be able to bar individuals with a history of fraud or criminal convictions and make sure that reporting of charitable campaigns is complete and timely," Secretary Cox added.

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