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:
HB 105, by Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville), one of Gov. Brian Kemp's floor leaders in the House, increases the state financial award for public school employees from $75,000 to $150,000 for educators killed in the line of service.
HB 235 introduced by Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick), known as the "Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act," allows educators to take up to 30 days of leave for organ donation and up to seven days for bone marrow donation. This donor leave will not affect the educators' available sick leave. PAGE endorses HB 235 and provided an impact statement from a PAGE member who donated her kidney to her daughter.
House Ed Subcommittees Begin Work on Senate Bills
House Education subcommittees began work on Senate bills that crossed over. The Education Curriculum Subcommittee approved two bills, both of which move to the full House Education Committee for consideration:
SB 123, introduced by Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), mandates that school districts re-establish school climate committees to address chronic absenteeism. Kennedy noted that only a few school districts currently have these committees responsible for tackling chronic absenteeism. The chief superior court judge will head the committee, which is required to convene twice a year. By June 1, 2026, the committees must revise attendance protocols for each district. Each district must also submit an annual absenteeism report to the legislature and make it accessible to the public. If a school system has an absenteeism rate of 10 percent or higher, it must form an attendance review team to investigate the cause of the attendance problem. Additionally, if a school within the district has a 15 percent or higher absenteeism rate, it must establish its own attendance review team.
Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), chair of the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee, pointed out that the House included increased funds for school social workers in its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, a PAGE priority. Dubnik encouraged Kennedy to consider the role of school social workers in addressing chronic absenteeism in tandem with Kennedy's bill, and asked for the Senate's support in maintaining the social worker funding. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 82 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett) seeks to promote local approval of charter schools by creating an incentive grant program overseen by the State Charter Schools Commission. School districts would receive grant funds when they approve charter schools. Conversely, if districts deny local charter petitions, they must provide written notice. If districts deny multiple petitions that are subsequently approved by the state, districts would not be able to renew their strategic waivers for three years or until the State Board of Education (SBOE) determines local boards have demonstrated "commitment to increasing student performance and encouraging innovation through high-quality local charter petition authorizations.” This provision would not apply to districts with fewer than 10,000 students. Representatives from the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) and the Georgia School Superintendent Association (GSSA) shared concerns about the impact of local control of school systems caused by SB 82 while not opposing the creation of locally approved charter schools. Several charter school operators and parents spoke in support of the bill. It passed 6-3.
HB 674 by Rep. Miriam Paris (D-Macon) requires the SBOE to develop content standards for financial literacy and money management for students in grades four and five by Jan. 1, 2026. Each local board must then approve the standards, which can be incorporated into existing courses of study. Since the bill did not pass the House before Crossover Day, this was a hearing only. It is eligible to be considered in 2026.
The Education Policy Subcommittee met next and approved the following bills, which also moved to the full House Education Committee for consideration:
SB 17, by Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas), requires school districts to implement a mobile panic alert system, such as Centegix, that connects directly with emergency services. Districts must also procure detailed digital mapping of each public and private school in their district and provide the maps on paper and in digital format. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 44 by Sen. Sam Watson (R-Moultrie) reduces the minimum required millage rate from 14 to 10 mills, broadening eligibility for equalization grants to support school districts with lower property tax revenues. SB 44 also proposes a 25 percent reduction in equalization awards for districts not meeting the minimum millage requirement. GaDOE would prepare an annual report on each local school system's initial and adjusted equalization grant amounts. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 154 by Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) was characterized as a "proactive cleanup bill" in preparation for the Trump Administration's plans to eliminate 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 department is shuttered, as USED is responsible for licensure approvals for several professions, including social workers and professional counselors. Rep. David Wilkerson (D-Powder Springs) offered an amendment to add that the bill would only become effective upon an act of Congress repealing USED. Hatchett considered the amendment friendly since it would allow for the changes in the bill to take effect more quickly should USED be abolished. The amendment and the bill passed unanimously.
House Committee Hears Sanctuary Sovereign Immunity Waiver
The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee heard 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 they adopt policies conflicting with the state prohibition on immigration sanctuary policies. The sovereign immunity of governments, officials, and employees violating the prohibition would be waived.
No vote was taken on the bill. It is expected to be considered for a vote by the committee soon.
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, March 13 - Legislative Day 31
Senate Education Appropriations, 7:30 a.m., 450 CAP
Monday, March 17 - Legislative Day 31