Day 18: Literacy and Student Teacher Grant Bills Pass Committee
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A PAGE-supported bill to provide grants to student teachers passed out of committee today, as did HB 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026.
House Ed Passes Literacy and Student Teacher Grant Bills
The House Education Committee passed three bills today.
The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, HB 1193,* was jointly presented by House Education Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer) and House Education Appropriations Chair Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville). Erwin emphasized his belief that HB 1193 would be the most important initiative considered by the House Education Committee since the HOPE Scholarship. Dubnik echoed this sentiment, stating funding would be provided to support the bill's provisions.
Highlights of the bill include:
Provides qualified literacy coaches in all K-3 schools. Schools with fewer than 200 students would receive funding for half of a coach. House leaders estimate approximately 1,500 literacy-coach-eligible Georgia elementary schools with grades K,1, 2, or 3. If a district divides elementary schools into K-2 and 3-5, each school would earn a literacy coach, and the literacy coach at the upper elementary could also assist grades 4-5.
Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) would have two types of regional coaches. Regional literacy coaches would support school-based literacy coaches. Regional literacy leadership coaches would support principals.
Family encouragement to start kindergarten, though HB 1193 would not change the age of compulsory attendance.
Creation of the Georgia Literacy Task Force that will select the High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), comprehensive educator professional learning, and universal reading screeners.
Requires school districts to adopt a unified literacy plan.
Public awareness campaign on the importance of literacy
*PAGE's full summary of HB 1193 is available HERE. The PAGE HB 1193 educator feedback collector is available HERE. Anonymous and non-anonymous responses will be recorded and shared with policymakers. Responses recorded before Feb. 12 have already been shared with Chair Erwin.
The newest version of the bill includes minor changes from the version presented to a subcommittee earlier this week. The changes focus on how the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) and the Literacy Coordinating Committee will interact to develop lists of approved screeners and instructional materials.
During the bill's presentation, Erwin stressed that literacy coaches are expected to support students and teachers. School-based coaches would not be assigned ancillary tasks.
Committee questions focused on clarifying various aspects of the bill. Several members asked about proposed kindergarten and first-grade retention policies. When asked about funding, Dubnik did not provide a specific figure but responded that more information will be available soon as the House prepares its version of the FY 2027 budget.
The committee also passed HR 145, also by Erwin, which urges the Georgia Department of Education and Department of Public Health to collaboratively develop strategies and methods to expand vision and hearing screening for students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third, fifth, and eighth grades, as well as for transfer students in all grade levels. Once developed, these strategies and methods would be presented to the chairs of the House and Senate education committees, as well as to the Georgia Council on Literacy, to ensure they align with state literacy goals.
Both HB 1193 and HR 145 passed the committee unanimously
HB 310, the Student Teacher Promotion Act, by Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) was also approved by the committee. The PAGE-supported bill would create a needs-based student-teacher grant program for up to 500 student teachers eligible to receive the Pell Grant. Participating student teachers would receive up to $5,000 to help offset costs of student teaching. Additionally, they would be eligible to receive a $2,500 singing bonus grant upon completing their student teaching if they work in a Georgia school. HB 310 passed the committee with a single dissenting vote.
PAGE thanks Rep. Olaleye for his work on HB 310 and will continue to support the bill as it moves forward in the legislative process.
All three bills now await consideration by the House Rules Committee.
Maternity Leave Bill Passed Committee Tuesday
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the House Public and Community Health Committee passed HB 1118 by Rep. Sandy Donatucci (R-Buford). The bill would create a new form of leave for qualified state and local school employees called "maternal birth leave," providing 120 hours of paid leave to mothers following childbirth. This leave could only be used in the three weeks immediately following childbirth and would precede the use of any other paid paternal leave. An employee must have completed six months of continuous employment to be eligible for maternal birth leave. Hourly employees must have worked 700 hours during those six months.
HB 1118 moves to the House Rules Committee for consideration.
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Legislative Day 19
PAGE Day on Capitol Hill
Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Legislative Day 20
Thursday, Feb. 19 - Legislative Day 21
Friday, Feb. 20 - Legislative Day 22
