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 [email protected].

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.

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