Senate panel hears bill to require clearer disclosure by third‑party hotel booking sites

Senator Halpern presented Senate Bill 416 in a hearing before the committee, saying deceptive third‑party hotel booking websites mislead consumers by imitating hotel websites and hiding that the purchaser is transacting with an unaffiliated intermediary. "If a booking website is not the hotel, it must clearly and conspicuously disclose that fact before the consumer completes the transaction," she told the committee.

The sponsor said the bill is narrowly tailored to require transparency, not to ban legitimate platforms. The sub‑committee language exempts hotel‑owned platforms, sites with direct contractual relationships, and official housing bureaus used for events and conferences. Halpern cited industry and consumer research showing significant national losses from deceptive booking practices and argued Georgia should lead in protecting travelers.

Chris Hardman of the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association told the committee the language was developed with hotels and their partners and called it an important consumer protection measure, especially for seniors and other vulnerable travelers. "If this language were to pass, Georgia would be leading the way in this type of consumer protection," he said, and raised the stakes for large events such as the FIFA World Cup.

Committee members asked whether the measure protects out‑of‑state bookings and were told the law would apply to bookings for hotels located in Georgia; enforcement could rely on existing state remedies such as the Fair Business Practices Act enforced by state officials. The committee also heard from Hunter Loggins, who described a near‑scam experience in which a third‑party site listed rooms and later attempted to charge an extra $300; he said the encounter convinced him reforms are needed.

The committee heard the bill only and did not markup or vote; members indicated interest in finding a legislative vehicle to carry the measure forward.