Legislators returned to work today

After a week of budget hearings and a day of inclement weather, the House and Senate convened today for the seventh day of the session. They will be in session through Thursday of this week.

This afternoon, the Senate Education and Youth Committee met to hear SB 412, which would increase the accumulated number of sick leave days that teachers and other school personnel may take each school year for personal or professional leave. The measure is sponsored by the chairman of the Senate committee, Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro. The bill passed without objection.

The bill states: "During any school year, personnel may utilize up to a maximum ... of five days of any accumulated sick leave for the purpose of absenting themselves from their duties for personal or professional reasons ..." The bill enjoys bipartisan support. The committee will not meet on Thursday as previously announced.

The Senate Children and Families Committee heard a bill today, SB 402, to establish a pilot program for screenings, clinical evaluations, and training for autism spectrum disorder for children in foster care. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, and his wife are foster parents. The bill passed the committee with an amendment to increase the frequency of status reports on the program.

A previously scheduled meeting of the Senate Retirement Committee for today was postponed. Meanwhile, word at the Capitol is that sponsors of legislation in the House and Senate to extend the current program that allows retired teachers to return to the classroom in difficult-to-fill subject areas, such as special education, are working together to pass an extension. The bills are HB 372 and SB 150.

Tomorrow, the House Appropriations Committee's Education subcommittee will meet at 12:30 p.m. in Room 341 of the State Capitol. The meeting will be live streamed here.

Recent bill introductions

Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, has filed HB 918 to allow private school students, home study students, and non-resident public school students to enroll as part-time students in any public school.

House Democrats have filed the "Nourish to Flourish" bill, HB 993, to "to require that public schools schedule a lunch period for each class that includes not less than 30 consecutive minutes of seated time beginning from the time that a majority of the class has been seated after receiving their meals."

HB 989, by Rep. David Wilkinson (D-Cobb), requires school boards to allow public comment at each meeting and that the public comment portion of the meeting be broadcast or live streamed, and other requirements.

Rep. Hilton has filed legislation, HB 1009: "Beginning no later than July 1, 2027, no public school student in grades nine through 12 shall be permitted to access personal electronic devices during the school day."

Sen. RaShaun Kemp, D-Atlanta, has filed SB 381 which would achieve a long-term goal of the Georgia Association of Educators, the addition of a poverty weight in the state's funding formula for local schools and students.

SB 401, by Sen. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville), requires local school boards "provide instruction in firearm safety in kindergarten through grade 12."

The next Legislative Alert will be Wednesday, January 28

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