Sponsored by State Rep. Trey Kelley, the proposed bill in the Georgia House aims to counter abusive lawsuits related to website accessibility violations, with the goal of safeguarding Georgians from suits intended to exploit, according to the Georgia State House.
The bill, designated HB1470 and introduced Thursday, Feb. 26 during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, formally states: ’Torts; abusive litigation based on alleged website access violations under federal and state law; create a cause of action’.
Our summary below uses the official bill language and offers occasional interpretation for clarification.
Essentially, the bill would create a right to sue for abusive use of litigation based on alleged website accessibility violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or comparable laws when suits mainly seek settlements from Georgia residents. It details website access violations, outlines considerations for courts to use to determine whether litigation is abusive, and sets up a rebuttable presumption of abuse if a company shows a good-faith attempt to address and resolve cited violations within 30 and 90 days, respectively. Damages, costs, attorney fees, and punitive damages could be recovered, and the attorney general would be authorized to intervene to seek injunctions, civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation, declaratory relief, and initiate investigative demands.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (Democrat-84th), Rep. Bruce Williamson (Republican-112th), and Sen. Brian Strickland (Republican-42nd) are among the bill’s co-sponsors, along with two additional lawmakers.
Since this session began, Kelley has proposed another 22 bills, seven of which have been passed.
Kelley earned a BS from Shorter University in 2008 and a JD from Georgia State University College of Law in 2014.
A Republican, Kelley joined the Georgia State House in 2013, representing the 16th House District after succeeding Rick Crawford.
Georgia’s legislative process starts when a member, sometimes acting on a constituent’s behalf, collaborates with the Office of Legislative Counsel to craft a bill. Once filed with the House Clerk or Senate Secretary, it gets its first reading and is assigned to a committee for discussion and fact-gathering. Upon committee approval, the bill moves to the chamber floor for its third reading, debate, and a vote. Passage in both legislative houses is required—occasionally requiring reconciliation by conference committee—before the measure is sent to the governor. The governor then has six days during session (or 40 days following adjournment, known as Sine Die) to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without signing. The General Assembly convenes annually for a 40-day legislative session that begins the second Monday in January.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1444 | 02/24/2026 | Sales and use tax; require each sales tax return include specific information |
| HB1361 | 02/18/2026 | Pharmacies; compounding of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients; provisions |
| HB1354 | 02/18/2026 | Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act; require certain health insurers providing a network plan to approve credentialing applications within a certain time frame |
| HB1333 | 02/17/2026 | Municipal corporations; calculation of costs of governmental affairs activities by municipalities which taxpayers may elect not to pay; provide |
| HB1303 | 02/12/2026 | Crimes and offenses; offense of possession of a controlled substance in the presence of a child; provide |
| HB1236 | 02/06/2026 | Insurance; medical necessity of a healthcare service; provisions |
| HB1211 | 02/05/2026 | Insurance; guidelines and recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, examinations, and laboratory tests; provide |
| HB848 | 03/25/2025 | Polk County; school district ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption |
| HB834 | 03/25/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB802 | 03/20/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB757 | 03/11/2025 | Crimes and offenses; registration of kratom products and sworn certification of compliance; provide |
| HB482 | 02/18/2025 | Courts; superior court judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; provide |
| HB481 | 02/18/2025 | Elections; dates on which special elections to present questions to the voters can be held; revise provisions |
| HB432 | 02/12/2025 | Game and fish; Georgia turkey stamps; provide |
| HB412 | 02/12/2025 | Polk County Water Authority; reappointment of members; change certain provisions |
| HB359 | 02/10/2025 | Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum |
| HB320 | 02/06/2025 | Waste management; require recycling of solar panels |
| HB298 | 02/05/2025 | Health; requirements for nurse staffing in hospitals; provide |
| HB274 | 02/05/2025 | Alternative ad valorem tax; motor vehicles; change certain definitions |
| HB273 | 02/05/2025 | Title ad valorem tax; motor vehicles; change certain definitions |
| HB199 | 01/30/2025 | Courts; protection of personally identifiable information of judges and their spouses; modify provisions |
| HB196 | 01/30/2025 | State employees’ health insurance plan; drugs dispensed for self-administration; provisions |
This reporting used information from the Georgia State House. You can access that source data here.
