Georgia CommonsSenate · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 416: "Stop Online Booking Scams Act"; enact
Last action January 27, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred
A Georgia Senate bill would require third-party hotel booking websites to clearly disclose that they are not the hotel itself before letting a customer book a room, and would make failure to do so an unlawful deceptive trade practice.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Some websites that let people book hotel rooms are not affiliated with the hotels they list, which can confuse consumers into thinking they are booking directly with the hotel. This bill, called the 'Stop Online Booking Scams Act,' adds a new section to Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393) targeting these 'third-party hotel booking websites.' The bill defines which platforms count as third-party booking websites and carves out exceptions for sites operating under a hotel's own brand, sites with a formal affiliation contract with the property, and event or meeting planners booking blocks of rooms. Covered websites would have to clearly tell consumers, before they enter personal information or hear any sales pitch, that the site is not the hotel and is acting as an unaffiliated middleman. The disclosure must appear prominently, not buried in terms and conditions or behind a clickable link. Violating this requirement would count as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under Georgia consumer protection law. The bill does not list an effective date beyond standard enactment.
What the bill does
- Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.22) requiring third-party hotel booking websites to disclose they are not affiliated with the hotel being booked.
- Defines 'third-party hotel booking website' and excludes sites operating under a shared hotel brand, sites with a formal affiliation contract, and event/meeting planners.
- Requires the disclosure to appear prominently on the booking page, before personal data entry, and separate from general terms and conditions.
- Makes failure to comply with the new disclosure rule an unlawful, unfair, and deceptive trade practice under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act (Section 2, amending O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393(b)).
Who it affects
Third-party hotel and accommodation booking websites, apps, and call centers operating in Georgia; hotel owners, operators, and franchisors; and Georgia consumers who book hotel rooms online or by phone through intermediary services rather than directly with hotels.
Why it matters
Consumers booking hotels online would get a clearer, harder-to-miss notice that they are dealing with a middleman rather than the hotel itself, which could reduce confusion over pricing, cancellation policies, or who to contact with problems. Booking websites that fail to disclose this face state deceptive trade practice liability.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Stop Online Booking Scams Act.'
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393(b) to add a new paragraph (38) making noncompliance with the new disclosure rule an unlawful trade practice.
- Section 3 creates O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.22, defining key terms including 'affiliation contract,' 'physical accommodation,' 'shared hotel brand,' and 'third-party hotel booking website.'
- Section 3(b) requires covered websites to disclose they are third-party services not directly affiliated with the accommodation and that the consumer is not booking directly with the hotel.
- Section 3(c) specifies the disclosure must be clear, conspicuous, appear first in search results, not require clicking or hovering to view, and precede any personal data entry or oral sales pitch.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“it shall be unlawful for a third-party hotel booking website to facilitate the booking or reservation of accommodations in this state without clearly and conspicuously disclosing to the consumer”
“A disclosure is not clear and conspicuous if a consumer must take any action, such as clicking on a hyperlink or hovering over an icon, to see it.”
Discussed in meetings (2)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, March 10, 2026
From 0:52:44 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would require unaffiliated hotel booking websites to clearly disclose that they are not the hotel before customers complete transactions. The sponsor described look-alike sites causing unexpected charges or reservations hotels never receive, and cited industry estimates of $5.7 billion in annual nationwide losses. The sponsor said hotel-owned platforms, contracted booking partners and official event housing bureaus would be exempt. The sponsor outlined a proposed substitute clarifying authorized contracting entities and affiliation contracts, but members did not have that version. A Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association witness supported the proposal, citing risks to seniors and World Cup visitors. In response to questions, the sponsor and association witness said the proposal concerned hotels in Georgia, while the witness described broader travel protections as a possible later step. A member said state officials could enforce violations through the Fair Business Practices Act. Another witness described abandoning a booking after being asked for $300 above the listed price, later learning it might have been a scam. The chair said this was a hearing only, so no amendments or passage vote occurred, and expressed interest in attaching the proposal to another bill.
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
- Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
- Drew Echols (R, SD-49)
- Harold Jones II (D, SD-22)
- Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-41)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-44)
Topics
- consumer protection
- hotel booking
- deceptive trade practices
- online travel websites