SB213: SB213 "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975" commercial cheating services that target students and examinees seeking a professional license as an unlawful, unfair, and deceptive trade practice; ban

Georgia currently has no specific state law banning businesses that sell finished assignments, essays, theses, or other coursework to students or people seeking professional licenses. Senate Bill 213 changes that by adding a new section to the state's consumer protection law, the Fair Business Practices Act of 1975 (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393). The bill makes it illegal for anyone to provide, for a commercial purpose (meaning for money or other compensation), a substantially completed piece of work, such as an essay, report, exam answer, or dissertation, to a student or examinee if that work could reasonably count as an assessment task. Contract terms or disclaimers cannot excuse someone from this rule. Violations count as unfair or deceptive trade practices, but only the Attorney General can enforce them; students or schools cannot sue under the law's private right of action. The bill also clarifies that tutoring, research help, and general-purpose AI tools are not banned, as long as the tool's main purpose is not producing finished assignments.

• Adds a new unlawful practice to the Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393) banning commercial cheating services.
• Makes it illegal to sell or otherwise provide a substantially completed assignment, essay, exam answer, or similar work to a student or examinee for a commercial purpose.
• Blocks companies from using disclaimers or contract language to avoid liability for providing completed schoolwork or exam answers.
• Limits enforcement of this specific ban to the Attorney General only, removing the option for students, schools, or licensing bodies to sue directly under the law's private right of action (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-399).
• Exempts tutoring, research assistance, general information, and AI tools or platforms as long as their main purpose is not generating finished assessment work.

The bill affects companies and individuals that sell completed homework, essays, theses, or exam answers for money; students in Georgia's K-12 schools, home study programs, University System of Georgia and Technical College System institutions; people seeking professional licenses in Georgia; and the Attorney General's office, which gains sole enforcement authority.

Businesses that profit from selling finished assignments or exam answers to students and license applicants would face state legal liability for the first time under this consumer protection law. Because only the Attorney General can enforce it, individual students or schools harmed by such services could not bring their own lawsuits.

• Section 1 adds a new paragraph (36) to O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393(b) listing failure to comply with the new anti-cheating-service provision as an unfair or deceptive practice.
• Section 2 creates new Code Section 10-1-393.20, defining key terms like 'assessment task,' 'assignor,' 'commercial purpose,' and 'student or examinee.'
• Section 2(b) bans providing substantially completed work product to a student or examinee for commercial purposes when it could count as an assessment task.
• Section 2(c) prevents disclaimers or contracts from shielding providers from liability under the ban.
• Section 2(d) classifies violations as unfair or deceptive acts under the Fair Business Practices Act but restricts enforcement to the Attorney General, excluding private lawsuits under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-399.
• Section 2(e) exempts tutoring, research help, general information, and AI tools whose primary purpose is not generating finished assessment work.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 10-1-399(a) to note that private civil action rights apply 'except as otherwise provided,' reflecting the new enforcement limit.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 300
3. 2025-05-14Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2025-03-31House Third Readers (House)
7. 2025-03-20House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2025-03-11House Second Readers (House)

• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)Primary sponsor
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2025

   53 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #200

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   155 yea, 7 nay (5 not voting, 13 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #373

• academic cheating
• consumer protection law
• professional licensing
• education policy
• Fair Business Practices Act