PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA EDUCATORS

The House and Senate convened on a stormy day to continue the 2026 legislative session. Neither chamber considered education bills on the floor. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce visited the Gold Dome to show off the official FIFA World Cup and Atlanta World Cup soccer balls. PAGE Director of Legislative Services Margaret Ciccarelli is pictured here with the Atlanta ball. Senate Floor Action House Floor Action House Judiciary Committee Approves Student Political Activity

The House and Senate convened today for Legislative Day 31, though only the House considered education legislation during its floor session. The House unanimously approved HR 145  by Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), which urges the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Department of Public Health (DPH) to collaboratively develop strategies and methods to expand vision and hearing screening for students in Pre-K, K, first, third, fifth, and eighth grades, as well as for trans

The first legislative committee workday following Crossover Day saw House Education subcommittees begin consideration of Senate legislation including establishment of an advanced mathematics pathway, strengthening financial accountability for school districts. House Ed Subcommittees Approve Math and District Financial Accountability Safeguards Sen. Max Burns presents SB 171 The House Education Curriculum and Academic Achievement Subcommittee passed SB 171  by Sen. Jason Anavi

Though the House and Senate did not vote on specific school-related legislation during their floor sessions, the House considered a bill of significant importance to education, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 state budget , which passed with only four dissenting votes. It was immediately transmitted to the Senate, which will continue its appropriations review. Read PAGE’s report on the House’s FY 2027 budget HERE .    After the House adjourned, Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker Jon B

With the conclusion of Crossover Day on Friday, the focus of the General Assembly will return to committee work for the next few days. The House is scheduled to vote on its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget tomorrow, March 9. The House was scheduled to vote on HR 145 by Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), which urges the Georgia Department of Education and Department of Public Health to collaboratively develop strategies and methods to expand vision and hearing screening

The House and Senate worked late into the night to meet the Crossover Day deadline by which all bills must pass the chamber in which they are introduced to remain eligible to continue moving. Multiple education bills were approved by the House and Senate. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action PAGE-Supported Teacher Tax Credit Approved by Senate The Senate passed the following bills, which now move to the House for consideration: SB 515  by Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro),

In anticipation of tomorrow's Legislative Day 28/Crossover Day, several committees conducted final meetings to move bills. School-related committees wrapped by midafternoon, allowing for a brief respite before a probable marathon legislative day tomorrow, which is expected to last until midnight. House Ed Passes Epinephrine, Charter School, School Roofing, and Girl Scout Capitol Visit Legislation The House Education Committee convened for what may be its last pre-Crossover me

Both chambers held lengthy floor sessions today and voted on a variety of issues, including property tax reform. Few education bills saw floor votes, and several bills still await consideration as the Crossover Day deadline approaches Friday. Another notable event was Gov. Brian Kemp signing the AFY 2026 Budget. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action Georgia Reads Day at Capitol - Congrats to READBowl Champs! Students, educators, and policymakers from throughout Georgia gathe

Though the House and Senate were not in session today, committee work continued on school-related legislation. The House Education Committee approved seven bills, including HB 1244 by Rep. Akbar Ali (D-Lawrenceville), which protects teacher planning time and duty-free lunch from being waived. When the bill was heard in subcomittee, at which public testimony is allowed, PAGE testified in support of the bill. An additional PAGE-supported measure was approved by Senate Finance,

Rep. Carmen Rice, Sponsor of the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act The House and Senate continued their focus on education bills, with the House approving two education bills: HB 1107 , the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act, by Rep. Carmen Rice (R-Columbus), which would require the GaPSC to develop and annually report comprehensive performance measures for all educator preparation providers (EPPs) in the state, among other changes. Click HERE for more on HB 1107. The bill wa

After significant negotiation, the House and Senate reached final agreement on a version of the AFY 2026 Budget which includes the full $2,000 one-time salary supplement payment. Many thanks to the educators who reached out to legislators, in conjunction with PAGE efforts, in support of restoring the proposed supplement, which at one point in the budget process was reduced to $1,250. If you contacted a legislator about this issue, please follow up and thank him or her for ens

The House had an agenda packed with education bills; thus, several House members referred to today as "Education Day." The House voting calendar included PAGE-supported legislation banning student use of personal devices in grades 9-12, a grant program for student teachers, and the House’s return-to-work (RtW) legislation. The House also approved the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. The Senate passed one education bill, and multiple school-related bills were considered in

Though the House and Senate were not in session today, many education bills were considered in committee. In follow-up to today's robust education-related committee action, a very busy education day is expected tomorrow on Legislative Day 23, when the House is slated to vote on literacy legislation, high school cell phone bans, a return-to-work bill, a student-teacher grant pilot, a weapons detection system mandate, and more school-related legislation. Education Subcommittees

The midpoint of the 2026 session came and went during a busy sixth week of the legislative session that culminated today in brief morning floor sessions. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action Senate Passes AFY 2026 with Reduced Educator Pay Supplement The Senate approved the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 budget , which covers the current school year. Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted the inclusion of Gov. Brian Kemp’s

Neither chamber considered education bills on the floor today, but this relative lull in education-related floor action is unlikely to continue as many education bills continue to pass committee. Beyond legislative action, the most notable event of the day was an announcement by longtime Speaker Pro Tempore and House Education Committee Member Jan Jones (R-Milton) that she will retire at the end of her term. Jones has served in the House for more than two decades and has held

Legislative Day 20, the midpoint of the 2026 legislative day session, saw few education bills in committee but several on the House and Senate floor. Senate budget writers' proposal to reduce the $2,000 one-time pay supplement for educators and state employees in the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY 2026) state budget generated signifigant interest. The House approved HB 970  by Rep. Rick Townsend (R-St. Simons), which requires a qualified healthcare professional who conducts a

Thank you to those who attended and presented at 2026 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill. The informative and productive day included educator advocacy and comments from candidates seeking to lead the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). The Senate passed education legislation, and multiple school-related bills were considered by committees. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action Educators Engage in 2026 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill Nearly 300 educators attended PAGE Day on Capitol Hi

A PAGE-supported bill to provide grants to student teachers passed out of committee today, as did HB 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action House Ed Passes Literacy and Student Teacher Grant Bills The House Education Committee passed three bills today. Chair Dubnik and Chair Erwin present HB 1193 The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, HB 1193 , *  was jointly presented by House Education Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer) and House Educ

The House passed two education bills: HB 907 , which makes changes to completion special schools, and HB 383 , which codifies the current Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) provisions. The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet early Thursday (Feb. 12) morning to consider HB 1193 by Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, as well as HB 310 by Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta). HB 310 is a PAGE-supported bil

While there were no education bills on the House or Senate floor today, there was plenty of action in education committees. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action House Return-to-Work Bill Approved by Committee Rob Aycock from PAGE Legislative Services shares PAGE support for HB 372. The House Retirement Committee approved HB 372 , by Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins), which extends the sunset date of the return-to-work (RtW) program for retired educators to 2030. If a s