---
title: SB 548. Fraud and Related Offenses; certain for profit organizations from the term "credit repair services organization"; exempt
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb548
cite_as: SB 548, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb548
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb548.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb548/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73509
date: 2026-02-24
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/sb547.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb549.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb548.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 548
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-20
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Carden Summers
- Jason T. Dickerson
- Mike Hodges
- Ricky Williams
- Shawn Still
- Steve Gooch
- Russ Goodman
- Freddie Sims
- Lee Anderson
- Marty Harbin
- Billy Hickman
- Frank Ginn
- Brian Strickland
- Larry Walker
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB548/2025
upstream_id: 2121407
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- credit repair
- consumer protection
- fraud law
- Attorney General enforcement
---
# SB 548. Fraud and Related Offenses; certain for profit organizations from the term "credit repair services organization"; exempt
## Text
Senate Bill 548
By: Senators Summers of the 13th, Dickerson of the 21st, Hodges of the 3rd, Williams of the
25th, Still of the 48th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 4 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to fraud and related offenses, so as to exempt certain for profit organizations from
the term "credit repair services organization"; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 4 of Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fraud
and related offenses, is amended by adding a new subparagraph to paragraph (2) of
subsection (a) of Code Section 16-9-59, relating to operation of credit repair services
organization, as follows:
"(C) 'Credit repair services organization' also does not include any credit repair
organization, as defined by 15 U.S.C. Section 1679a, that complies with the following
consumer protections:
(i) Obtains a bond in the amount of $50,000.00, which shall be filed with the office
of the Attorney General pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by such
department and shall remain in place for at least one year after the credit repair
services organization has ceased all activities in this state, and which shall be used to
cover administrative fines or civil damages suffered by any buyer or through any
enforcement action; and
(ii) Provides:
(I) A written contract to the buyer setting out the services such credit repair services
organization provides and the amount that will be due each month for such services;
(II) An information statement informing the buyer of the buyer's right to challenge
and dispute items on a credit report on his or her own; stating that the credit repair
services organization will only challenge or dispute items that the buyer affirms are
either unfair, inaccurate, or unsubstantiated; and informing the buyer of the right to
proceed against the bond along with the name and address of the bond surety; and
(III) A notice of cancellation that informs the buyer of the right to rescind the
agreement within ten business days after entering into the contract and the right to
cancel services at any time, along with a preprinted form containing the mailing
address of the credit repair services organization."
SECTION 2.
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 Senate bill would exempt certain for-profit credit repair companies from the state's legal definition of a "credit repair services organization" if they meet specific bonding and disclosure requirements.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently regulates and restricts "credit repair services organizations," businesses that offer to fix or improve people's credit reports for a fee, under the state's fraud statute (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-59). This bill adds a new carve-out: a for-profit credit repair organization, as defined under a federal consumer credit law (15 U.S.C. Section 1679a), would no longer count as a "credit repair services organization" under Georgia law, and so would fall outside those state restrictions, as long as it meets a set of consumer protection conditions.
Those conditions include posting a $50,000 bond with the Georgia Attorney General's office that stays in place for a year after the company stops operating in Georgia, giving customers a written contract describing services and monthly costs, providing a disclosure statement about the customer's right to dispute credit report items themselves, and giving a cancellation notice allowing the customer to back out within ten business days.
### What it does
- Adds a new exemption to Georgia's credit repair fraud law (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-59) so qualifying for-profit companies are not classified as "credit repair services organizations."
- Requires exempt companies to post a $50,000 bond with the Attorney General's office to cover fines or damages from consumer complaints.
- Requires exempt companies to keep that bond active for at least one year after they stop doing business in Georgia.
- Requires exempt companies to give customers a written contract listing services and monthly fees.
- Requires exempt companies to inform customers in writing of their right to dispute credit report errors themselves and their right to claim against the bond.
- Requires exempt companies to provide a cancellation notice letting customers cancel within ten business days or at any later time.
### Who it affects
For-profit credit repair companies operating in Georgia, consumers who hire them to dispute or fix credit report problems, and the Georgia Attorney General's office, which would hold the required bonds and handle related enforcement or claims.
### Why it matters
Consumers using credit repair companies that qualify for this exemption would get specific written disclosures, a cancellation window, and a bonded fund to draw from if something goes wrong, while those companies would operate outside the state's standard credit repair services organization rules.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends Code Section 16-9-59 by adding subparagraph (C) to paragraph (2) of subsection (a), creating the exemption for qualifying for-profit credit repair organizations.
- The exemption applies only to organizations meeting the federal definition of a credit repair organization under 15 U.S.C. Section 1679a.
- Qualifying companies must obtain and maintain a $50,000 bond filed with the Attorney General's office, active for at least one year after ceasing Georgia operations.
- Qualifying companies must give customers a written contract, an information statement on dispute rights and bond claims, and a cancellation notice with a ten-day rescission period.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-20)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-24)
- Sponsors: Carden Summers, Jason T. Dickerson, Mike Hodges, Ricky Williams, Shawn Still, Steve Gooch, Russ Goodman, Freddie Sims, Lee Anderson, Marty Harbin, Billy Hickman, Frank Ginn, Brian Strickland, Larry Walker
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73509
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb548.md?full=1