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Day 13: Debut of the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026

  • Writer: Legislative Team
    Legislative Team
  • 20 hours ago
  • 5 min read

It was a jam-packed legislative day in the education sector. By a vote of 167-5, the House approved the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 budget. It now moves to the Senate for consideration. Apart from the midterm budget, the House and Senate did not consider education-related legislation on the floor, but there was plenty of education action under the Gold Dome in the afternoon.


House Floor Action


Senate Floor Action

New Early Literacy Act Announced in Joint News Conference




House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington), flanked by House and Senate members in both parties and his wife, Dayle, a retired longtime educator, announced the introduction of the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. PAGE continues to review and analyze this lengthy bill and will provide additional information in our Week Four Summary.


Speaker Burns and other speakers, such as House Education Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer), Senate Education & Youth Chair Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro), and House Appropriations Education Subcommittee Chair Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), emphasized that teachers are not to blame for Georgia's literacy challenges, and that policymakers intend to give teachers the support they need to improve literacy rates.


Speaker Burns outlined provisions of the Act, HB 1193, which is sponsored by Erwin, Burns, and other House leaders. These provisions include:


  • QBE formula adjustment to fund literacy coaches at every K-3 school.

  • Streamlined grade placement guidelines. Kindergarten will be the first school step.

  • Kindergarten and first-grade students determined to be at risk by a variety of measures, including parental input, will repeat that grade.

  • School systems will be required to adopt a unified literacy plan.

  • Higher education institutions will be engaged to prepare the next generation of educators.

  • The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) will help ensure that educators are prepared to teach reading and will evaluate each institution's reading program every four years.

  • Upon the birth of every child, Georgia families will receive a book to help emphasize the importance of literacy.


HB 1193 was assigned to the House Education Committee and is expected to be heard soon. Identical literacy legislation, SB 459, was also introduced in the Senate by Hickman.


House Ed Approved 9-12 Cell Phone Ban and Other Bills


The House Education Committee delayed its planned start time so that committee members could attend the literacy news conference. Once the committee convened, it passed several bills, which now await consideration by the House Rules Committee.


HB 1009 by Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners), a PAGE-supported bill to ban student use of cell phones and other electronic devices from bell-to-bell in grades 9-12, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Students participating in dual enrollment, work-based learning, or apprenticeship programs that do not occur on school grounds are excluded from the ban. E-readers are also removed from the list of prohibited devices.


HB 1023 by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) would require at least one weapon detection system at the main entry points of all Georgia school buildings. The requirement does not apply to entry points that are locked, alarmed, and not intended for student use. Districts could use current school safety funding or any other funding sources to purchase the equipment. When presenting the legislation, Efstration said he does not intend his bill to be a top-down requirement specifying which detection system local schools should use. He cited substantial investments by the General Assembly for school safety in recent years.  The version of the legislation passed today included several changes: applicability to permanent buildings only, clarification that the provision does not apply to emergency exists, and an effective date of July 1, 2027. 


HB 971 by Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick), which allows homeschool and private school students to enroll in college and career academies if they reside in the same RESA district as the academy, or if they live in a neighboring school district adjoining the college and career academy, even if the neighboring system is not in the same RESA. School districts would opt-in to the bill.


HB 383 by Rep. Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville) would codify current Georgia High School Association (GHSA) regulations regarding student Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). The bill would also make high school NIL contracts expire when students leave high school. During committee discussion, Floor Leader Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville) asked for help in the future if high school NIL contracts begin encompassing large monetary amounts. He suggested that funds should be secured in student trust accounts.  The bill was amended to cover eighth-grade students who participate in high school sports.

 

HB 907 by Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) requires local school systems located within the attendance zone of a completion special school to either enter into a collaborative operating agreement with the school or provide comparable programs and services for students in grades 9–12, including dropout prevention, academic intervention, credit recovery, and flexible scheduling. The bill permits parents or guardians to directly register eligible students for participation in completion special school programs and requires coordination between the completion special school and the resident school system when a student is not currently enrolled. HB 907 requires completion special schools to provide program information to resident school systems twice annually, and school systems share this information with students and families. Additionally, school systems must provide contact information for students who stop attending or withdraw within 10 school days, establish parameters for operating programs outside assigned attendance zones, and authorize transition periods for affected students. Amendments incorporated in the bill require that completion schools notify students and parents twice per year about how to register and post enrollment information prominently. Parents have the right to directly register their students with a completion school.


House Judiciary Non-Civil Considers Harmful Media Materials Librarian Criminalization


The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee considered SB 74 by Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania), which would subject librarians to criminal prosecution for knowingly distributing harmful materials to minors. During the bill hearing, an amendment was offered by Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville) that would make the criminal charge applicable only to people who knowingly failed to comply with their relevant governing authorities’ decisions regarding harmful materials.


PAGE continues to work with committee leaders on SB 74 and its impact on Georgia school librarians.  


Sen. Burns requested that, if the proposed amendment is attached, additional language be added to ensure that the relevant authorities are aware of this code section and crime. After recessing to discuss the proposed changes, the committee decided to adjourn for the evening and will meet tomorrow to continue the discussion.

Register for PAGE Day on Capitol Hill Feb. 17


Please make your plans to join us for 2026 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill, in partnership with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) and the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE).


This free event will include breakfast, lunch, information sessions with key education-focused policymakers, advocacy opportunities under the Gold Dome, and a state school superintendent candidate forum.


Register and watch a brief informational video HERE.

Upcoming Schedule


Friday, Feb. 6 - Legislative Day 14









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