---
title: HB 1439. Georgia Surveillance Pricing Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1439
cite_as: HB 1439, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1439
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1439.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1439/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73558
date: 2026-02-26
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1439.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1439
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-24
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Samuel Park
- Dewey McClain
- Gabriel Sanchez
- Mekyah McQueen
- Stacey Evans
- Sheila Jones
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1439/2025
upstream_id: 2123556
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- surveillance pricing
- consumer protection
- grocery stores
- data privacy
- retail regulation
---
# HB 1439. Georgia Surveillance Pricing Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1439
By: Representatives Park of the 107th, McClain of the 109th, Sanchez of the 42nd, McQueen
of the 61st, Evans of the 57th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," so as to prohibit the use of
surveillance pricing in retail food establishments subject to certain exceptions; to provide for
limits on the use of electronic shelf labels; to provide for enforcement and penalties; to
provide for definitions; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for a short title; to
provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Surveillance Pricing Act."
SECTION 2.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) It is the policy of this state to protect consumers from predatory pricing schemes in
whatever iteration they appear or evolve. Advancements in algorithms, artificial
intelligence, and technology have created retail environments where it is possible to set
pricing for a good or service based on personal or protected data;
(2) As of January 1, 2026, there are no prohibitions on companies using personal or
protected data to set prices, which presents a distinct potential for companies to violate
consumer privacy rights and may engage in discriminatory practices;
(3) Although offering goods and services at different prices based on consumer demand
is not new, there are important differences between price optimization and surveillance
pricing. It is in the interest of this state and its consumers that technologies or business
models which can impact consumers or competition by the monetization of a consumer's
personal information be regulated by such a policy;
(4) Business models in surveillance pricing have results that will lead to the elimination
of numerous jobs relied upon by the communities of this state for the livelihood of its
citizens and by the state directly for economic growth. Protection of these jobs will further
safeguard consumers who are part of this economic ecosystem. It will add to the growth
of this state's economy and job market. By enacting rules around dynamic, personalized
algorithmic, or surveillance pricing, this state can protect these jobs and promote the
growth of jobs in the future; and
(5) Transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in retail environments is
necessary to ensure that automation serves as an aid to the workforce rather than a tool for
displacement.
SECTION 3.
Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," is amended in subsection (b) of Code
Section 10-1-393, relating to unfair or deceptive practices in consumer transactions unlawful
and examples, by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (36), by replacing the period with
"; and" at the end of paragraph (37), and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(38) Failure to comply with the provisions of Code Section 10-1-393.22."
SECTION 4.
Said part is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"10-1-393.22.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Electronic shelf label' means an electronic paper display or other digital price tag that
presents product and pricing information.
(2) 'Electronic surveillance technology' means a technological method, system, or other
tool used to observe, monitor, or collect personal data related to a consumer, including,
but not limited to, sensors, cameras, device tracking, biometric monitoring, and facial
recognition technology.
(3) 'Essential commodity' means milk; bread; eggs; fresh produce; meats; grains; potable
water; ice; infant care items, including, but not limited to, baby formula, diapers, and
infant hygiene products; medical and hygiene products, including, but not limited to,
over-the-counter medications, feminine hygiene products, and soap; and other similar
goods or products necessary for the sustenance of life or health.
(4) 'Personal data' means, regardless of how collected, any quality, feature, attribute,
behavior, trait, or other data of a consumer that identifies; could be reasonably linked to,
directly or indirectly; or is capable of being associated with a specific consumer or a
household of a consumer.
(5) 'Protected class data' means any data about a particular consumer or group of
consumers that directly, in combination, or by implication identifies a characteristic that
is legally protected from discrimination under the laws of this state or federal law,
including, but not limited to, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, pregnancy
outcomes, and reproductive healthcare.
(6) 'Retail food establishment' means an establishment that is:
(A) At least 15,000 square feet in size and sells food products directly to consumers
for off-site consumption as its primary function; or
(B) At least 85,000 square feet in size and dedicates at least 10 percent of its sales floor
to the sale of food products directly to consumers for off-site consumption.
(7) 'Surveillance pricing' means adjusting the price of an item for a particular consumer
or group of consumers based, in whole or in part, on personal data, including, but not
limited to, any such adjustments made using electronic surveillance technology or an
electronic shelf label.
(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, no retail food
establishment shall engage in surveillance pricing.
(2) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to apply to any retail food establishment
that:
(A) Offers a discounted price on a good or service based on personal data to members
of a particular group that relates to occupation, age, military service, or student status;
(B) Offers a discount or reward based on personal data related to the consumer's
purchase history or participation in a loyalty program or similar program; or
(C) Uses an electronic shelf display to adjust pricing on a good or service throughout
the day; provided, however, that:
(i) Any adjusted price applies equally to all consumers within such retail food
establishment and is not based, in whole or in part, on protected class data;
(ii) Such retail food establishment shall not increase the price of an essential
commodity more than once during each 24 hour period; and
(iii) Such retail food establishment provides a clear and conspicuous printed daily
maximum price for each good or service which has an electronic shelf display.
(c) Any violation of subsection (b) of this Code section shall constitute an unfair or
deceptive act or practice in the conduct of consumer transactions under this part and shall
be subject to public enforcement by the Attorney General pursuant to Code
Section 10-1-397 and enforcement by a private right of action pursuant to Code
Section 10-1-399."
SECTION 5.
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 ban large grocery and food retailers from charging different shoppers different prices based on personal data collected through cameras, sensors, or electronic shelf tags, with several exceptions.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently does not stop stores from using personal data, cameras, or digital price tags to charge different customers different prices for the same product, a practice known as surveillance pricing. This bill, called the Georgia Surveillance Pricing Act, would add that ban to the state's Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393), applying it specifically to large retail food establishments, generally stores of at least 15,000 square feet that sell food for off-site consumption, or larger stores dedicating at least 10 percent of floor space to food sales.
The ban would not apply to standard discounts for groups like students, military members, or seniors, loyalty program rewards, or electronic shelf labels used to adjust prices throughout the day, as long as those price changes apply to everyone equally, are not based on protected characteristics, do not raise the price of essential goods like milk, bread, or diapers more than once a day, and are posted with a clear daily maximum price. Violations would be treated as unfair or deceptive business practices, enforceable by the Attorney General or through private lawsuits.
### What it does
- Adds a new violation category to Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393) for failing to follow the new surveillance pricing rules.
- Bans covered retail food establishments from setting prices for individual shoppers based on personal data, including data gathered through cameras, sensors, or facial recognition.
- Creates exceptions for standard group discounts, loyalty program rewards, and electronic shelf labels used under specific safeguards.
- Limits price increases on essential commodities like milk, bread, eggs, baby formula, and over-the-counter medications to no more than once every 24 hours when using electronic shelf displays.
- Requires stores using electronic shelf displays to post a clear daily maximum price for each item.
- Allows the Attorney General to enforce violations and allows consumers to bring private lawsuits under existing Fair Business Practices Act enforcement provisions.
### Who it affects
Large grocery stores and food retailers meeting the size thresholds, their customers, and companies that supply electronic shelf label or surveillance pricing technology. The Attorney General's office would gain enforcement duties, and consumers would gain the ability to sue over violations.
### Why it matters
If enacted, large food retailers could no longer set individual prices based on tracking a shopper's personal data or protected characteristics, though loyalty discounts and time-of-day pricing on shelf tags would still be allowed under conditions. Consumers would gain new legal tools to challenge pricing practices they believe are discriminatory or based on covert data collection.
### Key provisions
- Section 2 lays out legislative findings that surveillance pricing raises privacy and discrimination concerns and could threaten jobs if left unregulated.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393 to make violating the new surveillance pricing rules an unfair or deceptive business practice.
- Section 4 adds new Code Section 10-1-393.22, defining terms like 'electronic shelf label,' 'personal data,' 'protected class data,' and 'retail food establishment.'
- Section 4 bans covered retailers from surveillance pricing except for specific carve-outs for group discounts, loyalty programs, and regulated electronic shelf label pricing.
- Section 4 caps essential commodity price increases via electronic shelf displays at once per 24 hours and requires posting a daily maximum price.
- Section 4 assigns enforcement to the Attorney General under Code Section 10-1-397 and to consumers via private lawsuits under Code Section 10-1-399.
- Section 5 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-24)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-26)
- Sponsors: Samuel Park, Dewey McClain, Gabriel Sanchez, Mekyah McQueen, Stacey Evans, Sheila Jones
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73558
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1439.md?full=1