---
title: HB 1224. Contracts; termination of certain automatic renewal provisions; reduce applicable period
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1224
cite_as: HB 1224, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1224
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1224.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1224/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72915
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1223.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1225.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 439
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1224.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1224
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-05
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
  - Carter Barrett
  - Chuck Efstration
  - Houston Gaines
  - Scott Holcomb
  - Beth Camp
  - Jan Jones
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1224/2025
upstream_id: 2109992
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - consumer protection
  - automatic renewal contracts
  - service contracts
  - subscription pricing
---

# HB 1224. Contracts; termination of certain automatic renewal provisions; reduce applicable period

## Text

The House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs offers the following
substitute to HB 1224:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 12 of Title 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
automatic renewal provisions, so as to reduce the applicable period for termination of certain
automatic renewal provisions; to provide to consumers an option of having the service
contract terminate after its specified period; to provide for related matters; to provide for an
effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 12 of Title 13 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to automatic
renewal provisions, is amended by revising Code Section 13-12-3, relating to notice to
consumer prior to automatic renewal of a service contract, as follows:
"13-12-3.
(a) Any seller that sells, leases, or offers to sell or lease any service to a consumer pursuant
to a service contract for a specified period of 12 months or more and that automatically
renews for a specified period of more than one month, unless the consumer cancels the
contract, shall provide the consumer with written or electronic notification of the automatic
renewal provision. Notification shall be provided to the consumer no less than 30 days or
no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline pursuant to the automatic renewal
provision. Such notification shall disclose clearly and conspicuously:
(1) That unless the consumer cancels the contract, the contract will automatically renew;
and
(2) The methods by which the consumer may obtain details of the automatic renewal
provision and cancellation procedure, including contacting the seller at a specified
telephone number or address, referring to the contract, or any other method.
(b) For any contract for service to a consumer that automatically renews for a specified
period of more than 24 months, the seller shall, in addition to providing the notification
required under subsection (a) of this Code section, obtain the following for the automatic
renewal provision of such contract to be enforceable:
(1) Written or electronic acknowledgment from the consumer of receipt of the
notification required under subsection (a) of this Code section; and
(2) An affirmative written or electronic response that the consumer does not intend to
terminate the service contract.
<ins>(c) For any contract for service to a consumer that automatically renews for a specified
period of one year or more and that increases the cost to the consumer by 50 percent or
more, the seller shall, in addition to providing the notification required under subsection (a)
of this Code section, obtain the following for the automatic renewal provision of such
contract to be enforceable:
(1) Written or electronic acknowledgment from the consumer of receipt of the
notification required under subsection (a) of this Code section; and
(2) An affirmative written or electronic response that the consumer does not intend to
terminate the service contract."
</ins>
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective on December 31, 2026, and shall apply to contracts entered
into on or after such date.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House bill would add new consumer protections for service contracts that automatically renew for a year or more if the renewal raises the price by 50 percent or more, requiring extra consumer sign-off before the renewal can be enforced.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law already requires businesses that sell services under contracts lasting 12 months or more with automatic renewals to notify consumers before the contract renews. For contracts that renew automatically for more than 24 months, the law goes further: the seller must get the consumer's written or electronic acknowledgment that they received the notice and a separate statement that they do not intend to cancel.
This bill adds a new category covered by those same extra requirements. Under the bill, contracts that automatically renew for one year or more and that raise the consumer's cost by 50 percent or more would also require the seller to obtain the consumer's acknowledgment of the renewal notice and an affirmative statement that they do not want to cancel, before the automatic renewal can be enforced. The change would take effect December 31, 2026, and would apply only to contracts entered into on or after that date.

### What it does

- Adds a new rule (Code Section 13-12-3(c)) covering service contracts that auto-renew for one year or more and raise the price by 50 percent or more.
- Requires sellers under these newly covered contracts to get the consumer's written or electronic acknowledgment that they received the renewal notice.
- Requires sellers to also get an affirmative statement from the consumer that they do not intend to cancel, before the renewal is enforceable.
- Leaves the existing 24-month-or-longer contract rule in subsection (b) unchanged.
- Sets the law's effective date as December 31, 2026, applying only to contracts signed on or after that date.

### Who it affects

Businesses that sell services to Georgia consumers under contracts with automatic renewal clauses, especially those that raise prices sharply at renewal, and the consumers who sign those service contracts and could see their subscription or service costs jump significantly.

### Why it matters

Consumers with shorter service contracts (as short as one year) that renew with a big price hike would gain the same extra protection now reserved for longer, 24-month-plus contracts: sellers could not simply auto-renew at a much higher price without the consumer actively confirming they want to stay enrolled.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 13-12-3 by adding subsection (c), covering contracts that auto-renew for one year or more with a 50 percent or greater price increase.
- Subsection (c) requires the same protections as existing subsection (b): written or electronic acknowledgment of the renewal notice plus an affirmative statement the consumer does not intend to cancel.
- Subsection (a)'s existing 30-to-60-day advance notice requirement for renewals over one month remains unchanged and still applies.
- Section 2 sets the effective date at December 31, 2026, and limits the new rule to contracts entered into on or after that date.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-05)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Carter Barrett, Chuck Efstration, Houston Gaines, Scott Holcomb, Beth Camp, Jan Jones
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72915

> The history, votes, and amendments (439 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1224.md?full=1