As of today, the 2025 legislative session is one-third complete. The House Education Committee met and passed its first bills of the session. These include two measures supported by PAGE: one to establish an interstate compact for school psychologists and another to double the state payment awarded to educators who are killed while on the job.
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House Ed Hears from Woods and Passes PAGE-Supported Bills
The meeting opened with an address by State School Superintendent Richard Woods. He presented the Georgia Department of Education's (GaDOE) 2025 legislative priorities and highlighted several key policy goals: increasing funding for public safety, providing additional literacy coaches, expanding teacher salary step increases beyond 21 years, and extending Georgia's return-to-work law. Woods also referenced challenges educators face in finding affordable housing and emphasized the need to address this issue. Following Woods' remarks, committee Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer) requested Woods' help in tackling the challenge of cell phone use in schools.
The House Education Committee then considered several bills:
HB 105 by Rep. Will Wade (R-Dahlonega), one of Gov. Brian Kemp's floor leaders in the House, increases the state financial award for public school employees from $75,000 to $150,000 for educators killed in the line of service. Rep. Holt Persinger (R-Winder) spoke in support of the bill, stating the sudden loss of income from such a death can further strain grieving families. PAGE testified in support of this bill in subcommittee.
HB 81 by Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins) seeks to enter Georgia into the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists. PAGE also testified in support of HB 81 in subcommittee.
The committee also passed HB 192, the Top State for Talent Act by Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville), another of Kemp's House floor leaders. This bill aligns GaDOE's Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) program with the High Demand Career List created by HB 982 in 2024.
All three bills passed unanimously and now await consideration by the House Rules Committee.
House and Senate Democrats Announce QBE Poverty Weight Bills
Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) held a joint news conference and announced legislation intended to add a student poverty weight to Georgia’s school funding formula the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE). Georgia is one of only a handful of states which do not have such a weight.
SB 128, which Esteves indicated would add around $2 billion to QBE, was not yet available by publication of this report. Olaleye’s bipartisan legislation, HB 245, the Georgia Educational Opportunity Act, would award schools a poverty weight based on the following student criteria: foster care or without stable housing, recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
Public Safety Committee Considers School Speed Camera Legislation
The Senate Public Safety Committee heard SB 75, sponsored by Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania), which restricts the use of automatic speed cameras in school zones to weekdays when instruction is taking place, 90 minutes before the start of the school day and 30 minutes after school starts. Afternoon camera operation could only occur 30 minutes before school dismissal and 90 minutes following dismissal. SB 75 requires signs notifying motorists of school speed zones to be placed one-half mile from the start of schools’ reduced speed limit zones. Signs warning of the use of speed cameras must be placed one-quarter mile from the camera.
When presenting SB 75, Burns explained that he received a speed camera ticket for driving 10 miles over the speed limit and did so because he wasn’t aware that he was in the school speed zone. Burns presented a substitute version of the bill not yet available online, which requires the installation of electronic signs notifying drivers of their speed.
The committee considered, but did not pass the legislation. It may opt to do so at a later date.
PAGE Day on Capitol Hill Feb. 18
Join us Tuesday, Feb. 18, for PAGE Day on Capitol Hill. In partnership with partnership with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) and the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE), the event will provide PAGE members an opportunity to learn about important education policy initiatives and meet state policymakers.
Attendees will receive complimentary breakfast and lunch. During the morning session, attendees will hear from legislators and other policymakers on pertinent education policy issues, including education funding, Georgia's teacher pipeline, the Teacher Retirement System, and more.
Mid-morning, attendees will engage in advocacy and direct dialogue with legislators under the Gold Dome. The event culminates in a lunch buffet during which state leaders will share remarks.
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 11 - Legislative Day 15
7:30 a.m.. Senate Education Appropriations, 307 CLOB
1 p.m. Senate Children & Families, 307 CLOB
5 p.m. Senate Education & Youth, 450 CAP
Wednesday, Feb. 12 - Legislative Day 16
2 p.m. House Appropriations, 341 CAP
Thursday, Feb. 13 - Legislative Day 17
1 p.m. Senate Education & Youth, 450 CAP