Day 17: Completion Special Schools and NIL Bills Approved by House

The House passed two education bills: HB 907, which makes changes to completion special schools, and HB 383, which codifies the current Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) provisions.

The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet early Thursday (Feb. 12) morning to consider HB 1193 by Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, as well as HB 310 by Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta). HB 310 is a PAGE-supported bill creating a pilot program to provide grants for up to 500 federal Pell Grant-eligible student teachers. Stay tuned to the Day 18 report for updates on both important bills.

House Floor Action

Senate Floor Action

House Approves Completion Special Schools and NIL Bills

The House approved two bills, advancing both to the Senate for consideration:

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 that 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. HB 907 passed the House unanimously.

HB 383 by Rep. Brent Cox (R-Dawsonville) would codify current GHSA regulations regarding student Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). The bill would also make high school NIL contracts expire when students leave high school. HB 383 passed the House unanimously.

Senate Appropriations - Education Subcommittee

Early Wednesday morning, the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee reviewed changes the House made to Gov. Brian Kemp’s Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2026 budget proposal. Rusk Roam, chief financial officer for the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), highlighted the $2,000 one-time salary supplement for state-funded educators, including those in districts, GaDOE, and Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), which the House supported in its budget proposal. The total price tag for the salary supplement for education-related positions is $368 million.

Most of the Senate's changes to the proposed AFY 2026 budget are adjustments to funding formulas, including the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula, based on updated data. They include:

• $1,150,000 increase for facilities to address a bat infestation in an elementary school

• $1.4 million increase to cover the full cost of state-funded Advanced Placement exams

• -$1.9 million reduction to the QBE Local 5 Mill share for four new State Commission Charter Schools

• $43.9 million increase for mid-term enrollment growth

• $16 million increase for the Special Needs Scholarship

• $27 million increase for the State Commission Charter School supplement

• $1.7 million increase for the Completion Special Schools supplement

• -$6.2 million decrease for student advocacy specialists based on projected expenditures

• $550,000 increase for a drone-based emergency response system pilot in four schools

• $50,000 increase for youth leadership programming

  
  

Senator Max Burns (R-Sylvania) noted enrollment in many districts is declining, which affects state funding, and suggested reviewing and adjusting the QBE formula may be appropriate given this changing context. Amy Jacobs, commissioner of the Department of Early Care and Learning, said enrollment in pre-kindergarten has also fallen.

Committee members will continue reviewing the education budget and make their own changes before forwarding it to the full Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senate Finance Passes Bill to Allow Georgia to Take Part in Federal Voucher Program

With a party-line vote, the Senate Finance Committee passed SB 446 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett), which would enable Georgia to participate in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Dixon noted the bill is a priority for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Democratic committee members questioned the need to permanently enroll Georgia in the program rather than allowing ongoing oversight with annual approvals. Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) proposed an amendment prohibiting schools in the process of being accredited from being eligible for the program. The amendment was voted down along party lines.

For more information on the program, see the PAGE summary of the OBBBA HERE.

SB 446 now awaits consideration by the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Finance Meeting Recording

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 12 - Legislative Day 18

• 8 a.m., House Education Committee, 506 CLOB

• 1 p.m. Senate Education & Youth, 307 CLOB

Tuesday, Feb. 16 - Legislative Day 19

• PAGE Day on Capitol Hill