House Education Committee passes 3 bills

The House Education Committee passed this afternoon HB 307, a literacy bill that expands on HB 538, the Georgia Early Literacy Act, which passed in 2022, both sponsored by state Rep. Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins.

Among other things, the bill proposes additional resources to support reading programs for dyslexic students, and the bill also limits the use of "three cueing" in teaching reading, stating that it could not be the "primary" method utilized. Three-cueing, or MSV, teaches reading by meaning drawn from context or pictures, syntax, and visual information, meaning letters or parts of words.

The Committee also heard HB 198 to provide access to school facilities by "patriotic societies," such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, according to the bill. Legal counsel warned the committee that by allowing access to one group a school would be required to give access to any other groups, without prejudice to their viewpoints. Rep. Scott Hilton raised the possibility that a Satanic club would be required to be given the right to use school facilities if the Boy Scouts, for example, had been given access. The bill passed on a narrow 9-8 vote.

Finally, the Committee gave its approval to HB 340, to prohibit cell phone use by students "bell-to-bell" during the school day, but only in grades K-8. The measure includes exceptions for students with an IEP plan, 504 plan, or medical necessity. Local school boards will be required to implement this policy for the 2026-2027 school year.

Senate Education Committee will hear voucher expansion bill and legislation that could result in jail for librarians

The Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing and possible vote on SB 152, a bill to expand the recently passed taxpayer-funded, private school tuition law ... even before the new law has been implemented or any data about the program has been collected on the efficacy or financial impact of the law. The bill would allow biological and adopted children of foster parents to qualify for the $6,500 voucher.

Another voucher bill will also be heard, SB 124, which could qualify any student whose parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia for a taxpayer-funded, $6,500 private school voucher.

SB 74 would repeal language from Georgia law, §16-12-103, which provided some exemptions for school and public libraries from certain violations of this law, "Sale or Distribution of Harmful Materials to Minors."

This section of law, deals with a wide range of offenses of providing to children material that is "harmful to minors, including:

"Any picture, photograph, drawing, sculpture, motion picture film, or similar visual representation or image of a person or portion of the human body which depicts sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors; or

Any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording which contains ... explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse and which, taken as a whole, is harmful to minors."

An individual librarian could be charged with "a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature" and a penalty of up to $5,000 or 12 months in jail.

Committee "Work Day" at the Capitol tomorrow

The House Retirement Committee, the Senate Retirement Committee, the Senate Education Committee (see above), and the House Higher Education Committee have all scheduled meetings for the afternoon of Tuesday, February 25.

The Senate Retirement Committee will hear SB 150, to allow retired educators with 25 years of experience to qualify for a state program that allows retired classroom teachers, after one year in retirement, to return to the classroom in subject areas for which there is a high demand. Current law requires these retired teachers have 30 years of creditable service. The program was created with the signing of HB 385 in 2022.

Next Legislative Update: Tuesday, February 25

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