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House committee sends auto-renewal price-hike bill back to Rules after debate over 25% vs. 50% threshold
Summary
Representative Barrett's bill targeting automatic subscription renewals was returned to the Rules Committee in its amended form (25% threshold). Members debated whether to restore a 50% threshold to reduce industry opposition; committee voted to send the 25% version back to Rules by voice vote.
The Georgia House Agriculture Committee voted to return legislation addressing automatic renewal price increases to the Rules Committee, keeping the subcommittee's 25% threshold for when companies must secure customer consent.
Representative Barrett, the bill's author, argued for restoring the original 50% threshold to secure broader support and blunt industry opposition. "If you increase my auto‑renewal price more than 50%, you have to get my consent," Barrett said, urging colleagues to amend the bill back to the 50% mark he originally proposed.
Members pushed back and defended the 25% threshold adopted in committee. Representative Donahue said the committee represents constituents, not lobbyists, and urged support for the lower threshold. Representative Cox, who chaired the subcommittee that heard the measure, described the subcommittee amendment as friendly and said the goal is consumer protection.
After discussion, the committee chair called for a motion to pass LC443470S as presented (line 33 set at 25%). A motion and second were recorded, and a voice vote was held; the chair announced the bill "moves back to Rules."
Committee members discussed LC numbers and substitutes during the exchange; Barrett said he had worked with legislative counsel and requested a technical change to move line 33 back to 50% if members preferred the original LC number. The committee took no substitute motion and passed the version with 25%.
The committee did not record individual roll-call votes in the hearing; the chair reported a voice vote with no recorded opposition.
