PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA EDUCATORS

The Senate Rules Committee set an extensive calendar for Days 39 and 40. HB 235 , a PAGE-supported bill to allow educators to take up to 30 days of leave for organ donation and up to seven days for bone marrow donation, was added to the calendar. Two competing versions of bills to restrict the use of school zone speed cameras were also added, setting the stage for lots of debate on how to handle the devices. House Education Passes Voucher Clarification and Expansion to Childr

The House took the expected step of disagreeing with the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget. The Senate insisted on its position. The budget will now be negotiated by a conference committee consisting of Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega), and Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) and Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry), Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton), and Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin). The conference committee will decide which budget items t

After an early morning Senate Public Safety meeting on school zone speed cameras was canceled, the most notable Day 37 education action occurred on the Senate floor. With seven dissenting votes, the body passed the FY26 budget after a contentious debate about education funding and private school vouchers. More details below. The Senate also passed several higher education bills , and the House passed SB 44  by Sen. Sam Watson (R-Bonaire), which reduces the minimum required m

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) met virtually March 12 and 13. Important Update to Teacher Certification Beginning...

Day 36 included action on education bills on the House and Senate floor and drama about education bills in Senate committees. The House passed SB 63 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett), which would require school districts that offer PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, ASVAB, or Advanced Placement (AP) exams to students enrolled in the district to offer the same testing to homeschool students residing in the district. Schools districts could not charge homeschooled students any fee

Today was one of three dedicated committee workdays remaining in the 2025 Legislative Session. As is often the case, several controversial measures were considered in late-session meetings. House Committee Passes Sanctuary Policy Sovereign Immunity Waiver The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee passed SB 21 ,   sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia). The bill seeks to remove sovereign immunity from local governments, thus opening them to liability, should

Day 35 didn't disappoint on education action. It was a busy day on the House and Senate floor and in committees. The Senate passed HB 340 , by Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), which prohibits K-8 student use of cell phones during the school day. The legislation is supported by PAGE based on educator feedback. We appreciate the bipartisan group of senators who voted to move the bill forward to Gov. Brian Kemp. Two senators voted against it. The House passed SB 123 by

The penultimate week of the 2025 Legislative Session began with both chambers in recess. The committee workday's main feature was a multi-hour hearing on HB 268, the House's marquee school safety bill. School Safety Bill Heard in Purpose-Made Subcommittee As a testament to the bill's complexity and importance, the Senate has formed a special Judiciary subcommittee to consider HB 268 , by Rep. Holt Persinger (R-Winder). This subcommittee met today for several hours and heard f

The House approved SB 154 by Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia), which has been characterized as a "proactive cleanup bill" in preparation for President Donald Trump's planned elimination of the U.S. Dept. of Education (USED). The bill strikes references to USED from the Georgia code. Hatchett said he intends to prepare Georgia if the federal department is shuttered, as USED is responsible for licensure approvals for several professions, including social workers and professional

The lack of education bills on the House and Senate floors today belied the extent to which legislators focused on lawmaking regarding schools. House and Senate committees passed bills on topics ranging from literacy to local charter school approvals, to strengthening the educator workforce. As the General Assembly inches closer to the Sine Die, (Legislative Day 40) many of these education bills will make their way to the floor. Senate Floor Session House Floor Session...

The House and Senate were not in session today, but both bodies held multiple education-related committee meetings, starting with a three-hour hearing on school zone speed cameras that convened at 6 a.m. and culminating in a hearing related to transgender student athletes than began at 5 p.m. House Education Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer) gifted PAGE with a resolution honoring 2025 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill and the 50th anniversary of PAGE's founding. PAGE is grateful for Erwin'

The House and Senate had extensive floor debates, though neither chamber considered education bills. The House Education Committee approved "Ricky and Alyssa's Law," while a House Judiciary Subcommittee approved additional penalties for students who make terroristic threats at school. The Senate Children and Families Committee approved HB 340 , the Distraction Free Schools Act. Senate Floor Session House Floor Session Panic Alert System and School Mapping Bill Approved by Hou

Legislative Day 31 was relatively quiet compared to last week's busy pace. Two Day 31 items of note include Senate approval of a PAGE-supported bill to create an interstate compact for school psychologists and Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearings on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget. House Floor Session Senate Floor Session Bill to Create Interstate Compact for School Psychologists Moves to Governor's Desk With a vote of 48-2, the Senate granted final passage to HB 81 ,

The House and Senate were busy with committee meetings to review bills from the opposite chamber. Several initiatives backed by PAGE advanced. The Senate Appropriations Committee is set to discuss the education-friendly FY2026 budget tomorrow. PAGE-Supported Bills Approved by Senate Ed The Senate Education & Youth Committee unanimously approved two PAGE-supported bills, which both move on to Senate Rules: PAGE Legislative Communications Specialist Robert Aycock testified in s

As the General Assembly completed three quarters of the legislative days remaining in the 2025 session, House and Senate floor calendars were lean, with the exception of the House's approval of the FY2026 budget, which contains welcome new funding for student services. Senate Education and House Education subcommittees are scheduled to meet tomorrow during a committee workday, so education legislation will soon continue through the legislative process. House Chamber Sena

As those working under the Gold Dome continue to recover from a lengthy Day 28/Crossover Day, the House and Senate Day 29 floor calendars were light and contained no education bills. The most notable news of the day was promising announcements from the House Appropriations Committee, which shared education priorities in the FY2026 budget. The House is expected to vote on the budget tomorrow. House Chamber Senate Chamber House Budget Writers Propose Big Investment in Public Sc

The 2025 legislature achieved a significant milestone late in the evening when the House and Senate adjourned their Crossover Day floor sessions, but before that occured, Gov. Brian Kemp signed the AFY25 budget . House Floor Session Senate Floor Session House Passes Voucehr Expansion, Tuition Assistance for Families of Fallen Educators, Personal Days Legislation, Voucher Expansion & More The House approved many of its education-related bills earlier this week, but the body pa

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) met virtually Feb. 12 and 13. Most of the meeting was devoted to updates provided...

A Crossover Poem 'Twas the day before Crossover; in the Senate and House Some members were happy, while others did grouse ...That bills they had sponsored and filed with care Would soon run into parliamentary snares Because if bills stalled tomorrow before all went to bed, For the rest of the year, would be effectively dead. Both chambers remained in recess today as several committees held their final meetings before tomorrow's Crossover Day deadline. Legislation must pass on

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 , w