PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA EDUCATORS

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 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 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 ,

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

As of today, the 2025 legislative session is one-third complete. The House Education Committee met and passed its first bills of the session. These include two measures supported by PAGE: one to establish an interstate compact for school psychologists and another to double the state payment awarded to educators who are killed while on the job. House Floor Session Senate Floor Session House Ed Hears from Woods and Passes PAGE-Supported Bills The meeting opened with an address

The Senate Education Committee heard SB 284 by Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta), which would add a poverty weight to Georgia's Quality...