As Day 27 was the last legislative day before Thursday’s Crossover deadline, today was certain to bring lengthy floor sessions. Below is more information on the education legislation that passed today, including the House’s school safety bill. All bills referenced below will move to the other chamber for consideration. 

Though no K-12 education-related committees met today, both House and Senate education committees will meet tomorrow. The House Ed agenda contains HR 174, which calls for the appointment of Georgia’s state school superintendent.

House Passes School Safety Measure, K-8 Cell Phone Ban, Organ Donor Leave, Dueling School Speed Zone Camera Measures, and More

School Safety

HB 268 creates a statewide student information database run by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) to improve information sharing between school systems, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. HB 268 requires school systems to create threat management teams, include behavioral threat assessment management plans in school safety plans, and mandates that students receive instruction on violence prevention and suicide awareness. Other provisions include the creation of mental health coordinator positions, tax incentives for firearm storage equipment, and addressing those who make terroristic threats against schools.

Bill sponsor Rep. Holt Persinger (R-Winder) represents Barrow County Schools, where a teenage shooter killed two students and two educators last September. After Persinger presented HB 268 on the House floor, House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) went to the well to speak in its favor. emphasizing the strength of House leadership's support of the legislation.

Speakers against the bill expressed concern that the student tracking system could be used to profile students inappropriately. However, they also stressed they appreciate the bill's intent and the work that went into it, and that they support some provisions within it. Despite these concerns, the bill passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support, 159 to 13.

Check out the Capitol Reports for Day 26, Day 18, Part 2, and Day 17 for more details on the bill, including PAGE support testimony.

School Zone Speed Cameras

In a notable move, the House passed back-to-back competing school zone speed camera bills. HB 225 by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) would ban the cameras entirely and passed by a vote of 129 to 37. In contrast, HB 651,  which would limit the conditions under which the cameras could operate, has the backing of House leadership and passed 164 to 8. HB 651 is sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) and would restrict camera operation to one hour before and after school start and one hour before and after school dismissal. Citations could only be issued for violations in excess of 10 mph over the posted limit, and the current $25 processing fee would no longer be allowed. HB 651 requires that half of funds raised by the cameras be allocated equally to all schools in the district for school safety.

Educator Organ Donor Leave

HB 235, the "Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act," by Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick), passed unanimously. The bill 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. Townsend is a retired educator and living organ donor.

Distraction-Free Schools K-8 Phone Ban

The House also passed HB 340 by Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), which prohibits student use of cell phones from bell-to-bell during the school day in grades K-8. The bill passed with a vote of 143-29.

Notification of Social Security Participation

With only two dissenting votes, the House passed HB 37 by Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton), which directs local school districts to notify employees about whether Social Security taxes will be withheld from their pay and requires notification of employee eligibility for other pension or retirement plans. Notification must occur at least once every five years and at or near the time of employee separation from a school district.

Writing Pilot & ADA Playground Requirement

HB 200, by Rep. Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton), creates a three-year immersive writing pilot for grades 2-5. The program will be funded with up to $2 million in grants, subject to legislative appropriation. When the bill moved through the committee, an amendment was added requiring elementary school playgrounds built on or after July 1, 2027, to meet specific ADA requirements.

PAGE appreciates the legislators who sponsored and voted in favor of PAGE-supported legislation.

Senate Passes Voucher Expansion, School Boards Limitation, and Home School Testing Bills

Role of Local School Board and State School Board Association

SB 4, sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming), seeks to address the role of both local school boards and the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA). It deletes references to micromanagement of superintendents by local boards and replaces them with language stating that boards will be accountable for superintendent performance. SB 64 would also allow citizens to file ethics complaints against local school board members and eliminate ongoing annual training requirements for local board members. Finally, the legislation outlines what can and cannot be said during board trainings. When presenting the bill on the Senate floor, Sen. Dolezal indicated that after GSBA staff delivered information at previous school board trainings, a superintendent addressed local board members and provided objectionable information about General Assembly action.

Private School Voucher Expansion for Military Families

SB 124 by Sen Shawn Still (R-Johns Creek) expands the Georgia Promise Scholarship private school voucher program to children of Georgia active-duty military families. Students in active-duty military families would be prioritized after low-income students but would not be required to live in areas served by schools in the bottom 25 percent of Georgia’s accountability index. Senators repeatedly referred to these schools as “failing” during floor discussion on the bill. SB 124 directs GaDOE to create the guidance. When presenting the bill in committee, Sen. Still stated that he intends it to accompany President Donald Trump’s executive order to extend federal vouchers to active-duty military families.

SB 124 was amended on the Senate floor by Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) with language from SB 22, which would require GaDOE to publish relevant federal guidance documents, including advisories, announcements, bulletins, circulars, directives, letters, manuals, memoranda, notices, policy statements, and media, news, and press releases. Publication must occur within 15 days and include a written response plan within 45 days.

Testing for Homeschool Students

SB 63 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett) would require that school districts offer PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, or Advanced Placement exams to students enrolled in the district to offer the same testing to homeschool students residing in the district. Districts cannot charge homeschooled students a fee to take the exams.

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, March 5 - Committee Workday

• 12 p.m. House Judiciary Non-Civil,  132 CAP

• 1 p.m. House Education, 406 CLOB

• 1 p.m. House Higher Education, 606 CLOB

• 3 p.m. Senate Education, 307 CLOB
  

Thursday, March 6 - Legislative Day 28/Crossover