The Senate approved the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2025 budget, which included major changes to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) operating budget. More information on these changes is available here. The Senate also approved SB 123 by Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), which requires school districts to re-institute school climate committees. More information on SB 123 is available in the Day 17 report.
|
|---|
Organ Donor Leave, Additional Personal Leave, & More: House Ed Subcommittees Pass Bills
Subcommittees of the House Education Committee met to consider several bills ahead of next week’s Crossover Day deadline. All bills were approved, including two PAGE-supported bills to increase the number of personal leave days for educators from three to five and to ensure educators who donate organs receive the leave they deserve. The bills now move to the full House Education Committee.
Policy Subcommittee
HB 235 by Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick), the "Georgia Supporting Living Donor
Educators Act" grants educators up to 30 days of leave should they donate an organ and up to seven leave days for bone marrow donation. Donor leave will not count against educators' available sick leave. PAGE Legislative Communications Specialist Rob Aycock shared an impact statement from a PAGE member who donated her kidney to her daughter. Aycock is pictured here with bill sponsor Rick Townsend, who is a Georgia educator and living donor.
HB 127, by Rep. Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville), increases the number of accumulated personal leave days for teachers and school employees from three to five. PAGE expressed support for the bill before it passed.
HB 371 by Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park) stipulates that starting in 2027, the maximum amount of funds allowed to be distributed to the capital outlay program will increase from $300 million to $375 million. Corbett said the increase is needed as Pre-K capital outlay was added to the program last year. He also said the $300 million limit has not increased since 2007, and construction costs have increased drastically since then.
HB 335 by Rep. Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) requires schools to make mental health resources available to student athletes. When presenting the bill in 2024 when this did not make it through the legislative process, Crawford explained he intends that the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) will collect mental health information via required student forms that are already in use so that student athletes can better access support. The bill directs GHSA to post mental health resources on its website.
Curriculum Subcommittee
HR 145, by Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), urges GaDOE and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to collaborate on prioritizing hearing and vision screenings that may impede children's literacy skills and progress. Erwin said, “The earlier we can help these children, the further we can take them.”
HB 200 by Rep. Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton) creates a three-year immersive writing pilot program for 2nd grade through 5th grade students. The program will be funded with up to $2 million in grants, subject to legislative appropriation. A representative from Share Your Story, the vendor that requested the bill, shared more information about immersive writing programs. Share Your Story will be one of several vendors eligible to administer the programs through the bill, as GaDOE will select the eligible programs.
HB 175 by Rep. Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth) brings the Department of Early Care and Learning’s background check standards in line with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and federal guidelines.
HB 133 by Rep. David Clarke (R-Buford) would require that school districts adopt policies allowing students to be excused from school to attend a release-time course on religious moral instruction for at least one hour a week. Clarke said HB 133 “protects public schools” because parents who want religious studies often remove their students from public schools to attend private schools because religious studies are not allowed in public schools. Clarke referenced Lifewise Academy in his bill presentation.
House Higher Ed Adds Families of Educators Killed or Disabled in the Line of Duty to Tuition Grant Program
The House Higher Education Committee approved a substitute version of HB 56 by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah), which creates a memorial fund for public school teachers and employees killed or disabled in the line of duty. This fund would be managed by the Georgia Student Finance Authority and would provide tuition grants to the children and spouses of educators killed or disabled. A substitute version of the bill was not available at time of publication of this report and simplified the definition of “act of violence” to mean a willful act of violence with no specifications regarding the perpetrator. Expressing PAGE support, Robert Aycock thanked the committee and author for the bill.
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 27 - Legislative Day 24
Senate Higher Ed, 8 a.m., 307 CLOB
Senate Ed & Youth, 1 p.m., 450 CAP
Senate Retirement, 1 p.m., 307 CLOB
House Ed, 1 p.m., 506 CLOB
Friday, Feb. 28 - Legislative Day 25
Monday, March 3 - Legislative Day 26
Tuesday, March 4 - Legislative Day 27
Wednesday, March 5 - Committee Workday
Thursday, March 6 - Legislative Day 28/Crossover