PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA EDUCATORS

Though Legislative Day 10 did not include education bills on the House or Senate floor, it did see plenty of school-related action by House Education subcommittees. The subcommittees considered several education bills, including HB 1009 , PAGE-supported legislation that would extend existing K-8 bell-to-bell bans on student mobile phones and personal devices to grades 9-12. House Floor Action Senate Floor Action Subcommittee Approves PAGE-Supported Ban on Cell Phones in Grade

Committee work has continued to ramp up, with the House Education Committee meeting today to hear presentations on several education topics. A bill to ban student personal electronic devices during the school day in grades 9-12 has been assigned to a House Education subcommittee for a hearing. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), HB 1009 , is supported by PAGE. The Chattahoochee-Flint RESA Student Advisory Committee was present at the Capito

One of the more interesting aspects of the 2026 Legislative Session is that, since it is the second year of the legislative biennium, bills left over from 2025 remain eligible for passage. Moreover, these leftover bills do not need to restart the legislative process and, in some cases, can achieve final passage with a simple motion. This situation was illustrated today when the Senate took action on several bills, including one on educator leave allowances. House Floor Action

Due to weather conditions on Legislative Day 6, the House and Senate held pro forma floor sessions and did not conduct substantive business. Legislators returned to the Gold Dome Tuesday for Legislative Day 7, though neither chamber considered education bills. Committee meetings are beginning, including the Senate Education & Youth Committee, which met today. Senate Committee Approves Educator Leave Bill The Senate Education & Youth Committee, chaired by Sen. Billy Hickman (

Legislators began their review of Gov. Brian P. Kemp’s proposals for the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 budget  and the Fiscal Year 2027 budget  in a three-day joint meeting of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, which began Tuesday, Jan. 20. Kemp opened the meeting with highlights from his proposed spending plans, including $325 million for a new needs-based financial aid program for higher education, the Dream Scholarship program . State economist, Robert Buschm

The House and Senate flew through their business Friday as Gov. Brian Kemp, House, and Senate members participated in an event at the Capitol to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Upcoming Appropriations Hearings & PAGE Webinar to Review Budget Proposals The legislature will stand in adjournment next week while joint appropriations hearings occur. Policymakers will review the governor's proposed Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 and Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budgets. An

Today's legislative agenda was dominated by Gov. Brian Kemp's State of the State address. During the speech, his final State of the State as governor, Kemp outlined several of his 2026 legislative priorities and reported that all state employees and educators will receive a one-time $2,000 salary supplement payment. The GPB recording of the address is available HERE . House Floor Action Senate Floor Action 2026 State of the State In his address, Kemp referenced successes duri

The Georgia House and Senate convened for the second day of the 2026 session. Each chamber held short days, though the Senate read SB 381 by Sen. RaShaun Kemp (D-Atlanta) for the first time. The bill would provide grants to systems to support the education of students living in poverty. The grant amount for each local education agency (LEA) is calculated as 25% of the base state funding amount per qualifying student. At least 90% of grant funds must be used directly for pr

The Georgia House and Senate convened for the first day of the 2026 session and quickly adopted an adjournment resolution , which sets the calendar for the remainder of the session. Though the floor session was relatively brief and there were no scheduled committee meetings, legislative business will begin to intensify later in the week. Proposed state budgets, including the education budget, are expected to be released in conjunction with the governor's State of the State ad