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Monday, February 3, 2025 - Day 10
The General Assembly met today and will meet again tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday this week.

The Senate Retirement Committee has a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, at 2 p.m. in Room 450 of the state Capitol.  No education-related pension bills are scheduled to be heard.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee also meets tomorrow at 2 p.m. to hear SB 22 and SB 44.

SB 22 states: "Within 15 calendar days of receiving a "guidance document" from a federal agency which the State School Superintendent or Department of Education deems relevant and applicable to the duties, responsibilities, or business of the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, or the State School Superintendent, the Department of Education shall publish such guidance document ..."

SB 44 lowers the minimum required millage rate from 14 mills to 10 mills necessary to qualify for equalization grants.

The Senate Education Committee will meet again on Thursday at 1 p.m. in Room 450 of the Capitol building.  No agenda has been published for this meeting.

On Wednesday, the House Higher Education Committee will hear HB 56, which proposes education grants to spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and prison guards who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Tomorrow, Speaker Burns has scheduled a news conference at 1:30 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda "to unveil his legislative initiative for protecting girls’ sports."
House and Senate Education committees meet Monday
Members of the House Education Committee and the Senate Education and Youth Committee met for a joint hearing today.  Legislators heard presentations from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (school safety), the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (mental health), and the Georgia Council on Literacy.  The meeting was high on platitudes and short of specifics.  No legislation was heard.

House Republicans, Speaker Burns
hold news conference on school safety


House Republicans led by Speaker of the House Jon Burns held a news conference today announcing their plans to address school safety in the wake of the shootings at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia last year.

Among the proposals announced was the establishment of a statewide database of students with a history of mental health issues, available to school districts when a student transfers into a new district.  Senate Democrats have legislation, SB 54, with a similar proposal.

The Republicans also announced increased funding for students' mental health well-being.  They also promised additional funding to lower the ratio of students and school counselors.  State grants to school districts of up to $68,000 will be made available for safety uses the districts will determine.

Newly introduced legislation


HB 198 would provide for the use of public school facilities by "patriotic societies."

SB 65, a bi-partisan bill, would require mandatory kindergarten for all children prior to entering into first grade.

Next Legislative Update: Tuesday, February 4
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