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Twenty-sixth legislative day - Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Crossover Day is Friday, March 6,
the date by which legislation must
have passed out of the chamber of its origination
to be eligible for consideration by the other chamber
The qualifying period for candidates for
statewide, legislative, and Congressional
candidates for the November 2026 election ends Friday
GAE Day at the Capitol is Thursday
The Senate Retirement Committee and
the House Education Committee will meet Thursday
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Bill to protect duty-free lunch and planning periods passes House Ed Committee
HB 1244, a bill to protect duty-free lunch and planning time from being waived, passed the House Education Committee yesterday. The bill - a GAE priority bill - was sponsored by freshman State Rep. Akbar Ali, D-Gwinnett. Schools could not deny teachers duty-free lunch or planning time except in the event of "extreme emergencies" or unless the teacher agrees. "Extreme emergency" means "severe weather conditions, interference caused by electrical or mechanical failure at a school, a disruption caused by an armed attack or threat directed at a school, a disruption of transportation systems resulting in significant changes in the availability of teachers, or the illness or death of one or more teachers. The mere lack of an available substitute teacher shall not constitute an extreme emergency."
Send an email of appreciation to Rep. Ali at akbar.ali@house.ga.gov
The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee, which could place it on the calendar for a vote of the full House.
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Senate committee passes bill to
allow PSERS members to join TRS
The Senate Retirement Committee this morning passed SB 209, a bill by Sen. Russ Goodman, to allow members of the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) to join the Teachers Retirement System (TRS). PSERS is the state-funded pension plan for custodians, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and maintenance personnel. Goodman represents Atkinson, Clinch, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, and Ware counties in south Georgia.
The bill would allow PSERS members "employed not less than half time" to make a one-time "irrevocable" decision to participate in TRS on or after September 2, 2026.
Only one member of the committee, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, voted against the bill.
The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee to be potentially scheduled for a floor vote.
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Senate Ed passes voucher bill
A 15-page substitute to SB 445, a two-page bill as introduced, to make changes to the state's private school voucher program made a surprise appearance on the Senate Education and Youth Committee agenda this morning. More details forthcoming. The new version of the bill states the voucher program will "prioritize" students and families making less than 400% of federal poverty level but not be limited to just them.
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Bill on reporting student discipline heard in Senate Ed
The Senate Education Committee heard but did not vote on SB 557, which would revise various provisions regarding student discipline and working conditions of teachers and other school personnel and to require that student discipline and complaints policies for public school employees are not subject to waiver. The bill also states that "school climate determinations shall not utilize data regarding student discipline." The measure would also allow educators who have been assaulted by students to transfer to another school if they choose without penalty or prejudice. The bill is offered by Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton.
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Bill passes Senate Higher Ed Committee
to include fine arts courses in determining
HOPE Scholarship eligibility
SB 556 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee. It would provide for the inclusion of advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge curriculum of fine arts courses in the calculation of grade point averages for determining student eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship.
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GAE/NEA endorses in 14th Congressional special
GAE and NEA have announced that they have recommended Shawn Harris as their endorsed candidate in the 14th Congressional District election on March 10. The seat was vacated by former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in early January.
Early voting has already begun. The 14th Congressional District includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties as well as portions of Cobb County.
Harris is a Brigadier General with 30 years of service, a cattle farmer in Polk County, former 7th grade math and science teacher, and NEA member. GAE encourages a vote for Harris.
For more information, visit his web site at: https://www.shawnforgeorgia.com/
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Early voting underway in several districts
Many voters in Georgia can now vote in several in-person, early voting special elections, including:
Senate District 53 (Chattooga, Dade, Walker, and portions of Catoosa and Floyd counties) for the seat previously held by Colton Moore. For those in this district, see more about a candidate forum being organized for this race by the Catoosa Education Association;
House District 94 (DeKalb and Fulton counties) GAE finds both Audrey Lux and Venola Mason as acceptable candidates;
House District 130 (Richmond County) GAE has endorsed Sha'Qunta Calles in this race;
and the 14th Congressional District in northwest Georgia, in which race NEA - based on the recommendation of the Georgia Association of Education - has endorsed Shawn Harris. Harris is a Brigadier General, cattle farmer, former 7th grade math and science teacher, and NEA member.
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The next Legislative Alert will be Wednesday, March 4
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