Several New Laws Went Into Effect on January 1

Some new laws are now in effect beginning January 1 2023.

They include:

The Inform Consumers Act, which establishes financial and contact information requirements for online sellers to prevent people from selling goods stolen from retail stores.

This law protects Georgians who purchase stolen or counterfeit goods and also stops criminals from selling stolen goods online.

Online retailers will now have to collect, verify and disclose specific information from high-volume, third=party sellers and provide a way for consumers to report suspicious activity.

The new law applies to sellers with an annual revenue of more than $20,000.

Another new law that went into effect Sunday is good news for those who make contributions to rural hospitals.

HB 1041 increases the limit to annual tax credits available for contributors to hospitals in rural Georgia.

The aggregate amount of tax credits allowed was increased to $75 million from $60 million.

The bill was one of a handful of healthcare-related bills Kemp signed in May saying the law would “further support our rural hospitals.”

Another new law allows food truck vendors to sell in all counties in Georgia with one permit, instead of having to get a permit in each county.

And a new law now in effect establishes a one-time right-of-way permit fee and reduces yearly right-of-way use fees that telephone companies pay to municipalities if they don’t have retail space or customers in the area.

The bill established a civil penalty for companies that don’t comply with the due compensation requirements established in the law.