The House Education Subcommittee on Policy and Innovation and the House Education Subcommittee on Curriculum and Academic Achievement met this afternoon to hear five bills ranging from school safety, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, and a ban on high school students' use of cell phones "from bell-to-bell."
HB 383, the "Georgia High School NIL Protection Act," which passed subcommittee today, sets new rules and regulations for high school athletes receiving Name, Image, and Likeness compensation.
HB 907 concerns "completion schools," once known as "alternative schools." The bill passed and would require greater cooperation between the resident school and the completion school.
HB 971 would allow home-schooled and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems.
HB 1009 requires school systems to adopt policies to prevent high school students from using their cell phones during school day, effective for the 2027-2028 school year.
HB 1023 requires weapon detection systems in schools with multiple entrances. The bill passed the subcommittee but was met with some opposition from some schools over the cost of the bill, which provides no funding for such detection systems. The bill provides an exemption for "any point of entry to such buildings that remain locked, are equipped with alarms, and are not intended for student use or are intended for student use only on an emergency basis."
Each of the above bills will be heard by the full Education Committee this week.
Senate Retirement Committee meets tomorrow
The Senate Retirement Committee will hear SB 150 tomorrow to extend the state program that allows retired teachers to return to teaching in subject areas that are difficult to fill. The bill would apply to teachers who already retired with 25 years of service and will remove RESAs' role in determining the-hard-to-fill areas. The current law, which expires this year, only allows retirees with 30 years of service to qualify.
Senate Education Committee schedules hearing for tomorrow
SB 171 is on the agenda tomorrow for a meeting of the Senate Education Committee. The bill would require the State Board of Education to develop an advanced mathematics pathway in grades three to eight. Local school systems could offer the advanced mathematic course to students in grades three through five but require it in grades six through eight.
