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Monday, April 7, 2025 - Session Wrap-Up
The Georgia General Assembly adjourned on Friday.
Session began on January 13, 2025.
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BILLS THAT DID NOT PASS
BEFORE ADJOURNMENT
BUT ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR FURTHER
CONSIDERATION NEXT YEAR
THREE VOUCHERS BILLS DEFEATED,
STUDY COMMITTEES ON WAIVERS AND
STUDENT TEACHING STIPENDS PASS; BAN
ON STUDENTS' USE OF CELL PHONES, K-8, ADOPTED.
THE FOLLOWING BILLS DID NOT PASS THIS SESSION but remain eligible for further consideration when the General Assembly meets again on January 12, 2026. 2,817 bills and resolutions were filed this session.
HB 59, a bill to require funding for one school counselor for every 250 students, failed to pass before Crossover Day.
A bill that, as introduced, would have increased the number of personal or professional leave days for educators, HB 127, was hijacked by the Senate to become a bill to regulate students' use restrooms and locker rooms and to ban schools from promoting, supporting, or maintaining any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), failed on the final day of the session. The Senate-amended bill drew from SB 120. SB 247 was a Senate bill that would have also increased personal and professional leave days (among other things) but which also failed to pass before adjournment.
HB 133 would have allowed students to leave a public school campus to attend "courses in religious moral instruction" for academic credit.
HB 200 would have established a three-year pilot immersive writing program for eligible public elementary schools. As amended in the House, this legislation have also created new standards accessibility standards for playgrounds.
HB 225 and HB 651, legislation to ban or regulate speed detection cameras in school zones, failed to pass by adjournment.
HB 245 would have created a new Quality Basic Education (QBE) Act funding weight for students living in poverty of 1.75. See also SB 128, which also did not pass before adjournment. At one point, the 2025-2026 state budget provided $28 million in grants to schools with a large number of students living in povery (a sort of poverty weight) but that was stripped from the final budget agreement.
HB 267, which passed the House but was never taken up by the Senate, would have limited students to participation in school sports teams that align with their gender as identified at birth.
HOWEVER, a nearly identical bill, SB 1, passed both chambers and and bans transgender students from participating in school sports that do not align with the gender as identified at birth. The legislation has been sent to the governor for his signature or veto. The bill also applies to the use of locker rooms and restrooms. SB 1 contemplates loss of state funding for school districts that fail to comply and private rights of legal action. SB 1 defines a female as "an individual who has, had, will have, or, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, would have the reproductive system capable of producing human ovum."
HB 302, stated that "The State Board of Education shall annually determine the amount of state funds needed to provide a state-wide program to offer quality and healthy meals, without charge, to all students enrolled in a public school in this state who are enrolled in after-school education programs or summer school education programs." It did not pass this year, having never been heard in committee in the Senate.
A GAE-initiated bill, HB 310, to provide compensation for student teachers, received favorable comments from both Republicans and Democrats when it was heard in the House Education Committee. The bill carries over to the next session. A twin bill in the Senate, SB 300, is also eligible for consideration in 2026.
HB 328, a bill to expand the private school subsidies for private school tuition, and to increase the state tax break for donors to private schools, passed the House but was never considered by the state Senate.
Bills to resurrect the back-to-school sales tax holidays failed, including HB 386 and SB 115.
HB 333 to tie the state teachers' salary schedule to the rate of inflation, so that as much inflation increases, so does the minimum salary.
HB 335 pertained to the mental health risks for student athletes. The bill passed out of the House Education Committee but went no further.
Several bills to expand the state program to encourage retired educators to return to the classroom in positions that school systems find difficulty in filling, failed to pass, including, HB 372, HB 599, and SB 150.
Each bill also proposed to extend the sunset on the program. SB 150 made the Senate Retirement Committee's priority list of bills that will later be voted on for referral for an outside actuarial study.
SB 209 was also added the list, which allows PSERS (Public Schools Employee Retirement System) members to join the Teachers Retirement System (TRS). PSERS is the state pension plan for school custodians, bus drivers, food service staff, and maintenance employees.
HB 436, to repeal the recently enacted taxpayer-paid, private school tuition voucher, failed to get out of the House Education. A similar bill in the Senate, SB 309, also failed to clear committee.
HB 437: "The state board [of education] shall also prescribe rules and regulations regarding community outreach efforts by local school systems to ensure that limited-English-proficient students and their parents and guardians are provided information regarding the program."
HB 517 would have provided up to $3 million per year in grants to local school systems for supplemental literacy and math remedial education programs. Funding would have benefited students who attend one of the lowest performing five percent (or poorest) public schools in the state. The bill did not pass.
HB 534, "The Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act," to require testing of drinking water in child care learning centers and schools for lead contamination, failed to get out of the House Education Committee.
HB 580 proposed to require schools to provide instruction in cursive writing.
HB 696, to provide meals at no cost to students who are enrolled in a public school that performed in the lowest 25 percent of all public schools, also failed to pass.
HR 68 is a resolution requiring a comprehensive revision of the Quality Basic Education (QBE) and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) funding formulas.
HR 174 - A proposed Constitutional amendment would change the office of State School Superintendent from an elected position determined by the voters to an appointed position determined by the state Board of Education. It was not heard by the full House. This proposed Constitutional amendment would also change the selection of Board of Education members. They are currently appointed by the governor by congressional district. HR 174 would give that authority to the House of Representatives.
SB 21, if it had passed, would have exposed school districts to lawsuits if they fail to cooperate with federal immigration officials or the police. The bill passed the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee but was never called for on the House floor.
SB 30 would have limited the prescribing or administering of certain hormone therapies and puberty-blocking medications to minors, conditioned on the approval of several physicians.
SB 39 would eliminate State Health Benefit Plan coverage for gender-affirming care. The bill was gutted and replaced with language from HB 660, which had the same purpose was the same.
SB 74, proposed to make librarians subject to a crime of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature when knowingly furnishing "harmful" materials to minors, died in the House. Similar language was added to HB 483, which died in the Senate.
SB 124 would have extended eligibility for the new voucher program to include all children of active duty military. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House on the final day.
SB 126 would have lowered the age of eligibility from 18 to 16 for Completion Special Schools.
SB 152, which have made the adoptive or biological children of parents of foster children - even if they were foster parents more than a decade ago - eligible for the newly adopted, voucher law. However, the House Education Committee produced a substitute bill, that as amended, required family income verification. Students of families that make less than 400% of the poverty level as defined annually by the federal Office of Management and Budget are eligible for the voucher under SB 233. The Education committee also added a new section of the bill to limit eligibility to students enrolled in a school that appears on the list of lowest performing (poorest) schools as developed by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) - not a student living in an "attendance zone" of a school that appears on the list. The House Rules Committee never scheduled the bill for a vote on the House floor.
SB 209 proposed to allow half-time and full-time education support professionals (ESPs) to choose to be a part of the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) over the Public Schools Employee Retirement System (PSERS). PSERS is the state pension plan for school custodians, bus drivers, food service staff, and maintenance employees.
SB 236 would allow children of active duty military personnel in Georgia to establish school district residency based on military orders and not necessarily actual residency. A House Education Committee amendment made eligibility based on military orders conditional for 90 days until full residency can be determined.
SB 248, the so-called "Clean Libraries Act," a 30-page bill, would establish the Georgia Council on Library Materials to review and rate books and instructional materials to determine whether or not they are "harmful to minors," inappropriate, or obscene. The proposal also would require each school district to teach abstinence-based sex education and AIDS prevention instruction for grades six through 12. The bill further would require schools to disclose sex education curriculum to parents two weeks before it is taught.
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BILLS THAT PASSED GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AND WILL BE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
Gov. Brian Kemp has 40 days to sign or veto legislation.
HB 37 would require local school systems to notify employees of all Social Security withholdings and eligibility for other retirement benefits, at the time of employment, every five years, and at the time of employment separation. An amendment was added in committee to allow local school board members to elect family medical coverage under the State Health Benefit Plan. Premiums for the coverage would be fully paid by the board member. The language permits but does not require districts offer family coverage for board members.
A last minute compromise between the House and Senate produced a final budget (HB 68) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The final version increased funding for the new private school voucher law by $100 million over the House version and eliminated the $28 million for a QBE (Quality Basic Education) "poverty weight" that the House proposed. The final budget also increased sparsity grants by about $6 million, provided about $20 million for student mental health support, and $18 million to fund literacy coaches. The budget also deleted $7.5 million that had been earmarked for teachers to purchase school supplies, pursuant to SB 464, which passed in 2024.
HB 81 allows Georgia join the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists to facilitate the interstate practice of school psychology in educational or school settings and to increase the availability of qualified, licensed school psychologists.
Also heading to the governor's desk is HB 105, which would double the permanent disability and death benefits to a public school teacher or school employee or family injured or killed on the job from $75,000 to $150,000.
HB 235 to require districts to provide employees leaves of absence for the donation of bone marrow and organs.
HB 268, a 57-page school safety bill, would provide for reimbursement grants to local school systems that hire qualified "mental health coordinators" (now called "qualified student advocacy specialists)" in a revised version of the bill) and to provide for suicide awareness and prevention programs. By July 1, 2025, the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, shall establish the essential duties and minimum qualifications for qualified specialists hired by local school systems. The bill includes language from SB 17 that creates a panic alert system and means to improve communications between schools and first responders in the event of an emergency and requires schools to provide school mapping data to local, state, and federal safety agencies. Language that would have created a state database on students with disciplinary history has been struck though more limited student data transfers may occur.
HB 340, which requires schools to have policies prohibiting the use of cell phones by students, K-8.
The House also passed HR 347 to urge schools to establish flag football teams for female students.
The House has created study committee, HR 711, to study chronic student absenteeism, PreK-12. The Senate created their own study committee on absenteeism, SR 217.
The House also established a study committee to review of existing mandates relating to public school administration is needed and to examine and evaluate best practices for reducing and prioritizing mandates for public school administrators, HR 887.
SB 1, passed both chambers and has been sent to the governor for his signature or veto. The bill limits a student's participation to school sports team that align with their sex identified at birth. The bill also applies to the use of locker rooms and restrooms. SB 1 also contemplates loss of state funding for school districts that fail to comply and private rights of action against schools. SB 1 defines a female as "an individual who has, had, will have, or, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, would have the reproductive system capable of producing human ovum."
SB 63 will require each local school system that offers the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, or ACT or an advanced placement exam must make such tests available to home-schooled students living in the district. HB 546 is a similar bill in the House that did not pass.
SB 82, "The Local Charter School Authorization and Support Act of 2025," is designed to grow the number of locally approved chartered schools by "incentivizing" local school boards to approve more local charter school petitions. School systems that approve new charter schools are to receive "an incentive grant" of up to $750,000. The House presenter said that districts that fail to grant more local charters will "be held accountable."
SB 93 passed which limits the use of MSV reading techniques to "non-verbal" students whose parents have given their permission to teach their children using MSV to decode words and comprehend text as part of a student's IEP plan. The bill also requires the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) to adopt rules to establish criteria for core curriculum for educator preparation program. HB 307, which also passed, contains similar language but also would provide additional resources to support reading programs for dyslexic students.
SB 123 concerns school absenteeism. Among other things, the bill would add to Georgia law the following sentence: "No student shall be expelled from a public school in this state due solely to such student's absences from school." The bill establishes new reporting requirements and supports to address absenteeism.
SR 237 creates a study committee to provide recommendations to support the state's K-12 education workforce and teacher recruitment efforts, including aspiring educators compensation.
SR 476, by Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, to create a Senate study committee on school district waivers, passed the Senate. This is GAE-initiated legislation and a long-time priority of the association. Waivers allow local districts to avoid compliance with state class size minimums, state salary schedule minimums for teachers, and requirements that teachers be certified to teach among many others. Virtually every law passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor pertaining to public education (Title 20) can be waived.
SR 489 creates the Senate Study Committee on Inclusive Educational Settings for Students with Disabilities.
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