JUSTICE AND EFFECTIVE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
HB 272 (Ballinger-23rd) Raises the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 851 (Scott-76th) Within 48 hours of taking custody of a person for or within a penal institution, and at
any other time thereafter where there is reasonable cause to believe that such person has a mental illness,
a custodian shall have a physician of a facility to evaluate such person for mental illness. If determined
that the person appears to be a mentally ill, the physician shall execute a certificate stating such and
requires treatment. The certificate is then delivered to the custodian and filed with the chief judge of the
court having jurisdiction over the charges or conviction of the person.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 852 (Scott-76th) Requires the officer in charge of an inmate to produce reports of de-identified,
aggregated data when such data concerning the health, safety, or other conditions of detention of inmates
is requested.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 892 (Mitchell-106th) Prohibits the use of corporal punishment by school administrators, teachers, and
other school personnel.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 904 (Bazemore-63rd) Prohibits the use of corporal punishment by school administrators, teachers, and
other school personnel, requires the State Board of Education and the Department of Education to provide
for minimum standards and model student codes of conduct which address appropriate methods for
redirecting students whose behavior is dangerous or disruptive, and provides for limited immunity for
school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel for the good faith use of reasonable and
necessary physical contact with a student under certain circumstances.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 929 (Hutchinson-107th) Places more oversight on solitary confinement within correctional facilities by
requiring the correctional facility to ensure that any such confinement is imposed only within the medical
units of the facility, digitally record each incident from the initiation of the confinement for the duration and document any de-escalation efforts implemented, the reason or reasons for which the use of confinement was implemented, and the duration of the confinement. The warden or facility administrator of each correctional facility must also furnish monthly reports to the department.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 1004 (Mainor-56th) Expands jurisdiction of campus police forces by virtue of “unified campus police
forces agreements” entered into by colleges and universities for any property that they own or occupy.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee
HB 1046 (Scott-76th) Requires all peace officers to successfully complete training on implicit biases
regarding race, gender, age, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 1047 (Scott-76th) Limits the use of solitary confinement in a correctional facility and requires increased oversight, medical and mental health assessments and reporting when solitary confinement is used.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 1134 (Efstration-104th) Provides for the concurrent authority of prosecuting attorneys and the
Attorney General to prosecute offenses involving criminal gang activity.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
HB 1216 (McDonald-26th) Increases penalties for violations of fleeing or attempting to elude a police
officer. The bill also prohibits the use of a blue light to impersonate a law enforcement officer.
STATUS: House Hopper
HR 707 (Werkheiser-157th) Creates the House Study Committee on Homicide Cold Case Resources.
STATUS: House Hopper
SB 257 (Anderson-43rd) Expands GCIC criminal history record restrictions for individuals who have been
pardoned and have no pending charged offenses. Allows an individual who has been cited for a criminal
offense but was not arrested and the charged offense was subsequently dismissed or reduced to a
violation of a local ordinance to petition the court to have their record sealed.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill will be on the Senate floor
for a vote today (MONDAY)
SB 359 (Albers-56th) Requires a biennial report and recommendation from the Council of Accountability
Court Judges of Georgia to various officials of the General Assembly.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill will be heard in committee today (MONDAY)
SB 383 (Robertson-29th) Provides for an instructional course or presentation educating drivers and the
public on the best practices to implement when interacting with law enforcement officers.
STATUS: Senate Public Safety Committee
SB 459 (Orrock-36th) Expands jurisdiction of campus police forces by virtue of “unified campus police
forces agreements” entered into by colleges and universities for any property that they own or occupy.
STATUS: Senate Hopper
PROTECTION AND SAFETY
HB 347 (Gullett-19th) Increases the requirements for removal from the state’s sexual offender registry.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. The bill will be heard in committee
today (MONDAY)
HB 689 (Gaines-117th) Allows persons who are victims of an offense of trafficking to petition the clerk of
court to seal certain criminal history record information and to allow restricted criminal history record
information to be available to criminal justice agencies.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
HB 849 (Smith-41st) Adds human resources personnel and supervisory personnel in a workplace that
employs minors as mandatory reporters for child abuse and requires mandatory reporter training for such
personnel.
STATUS: House Industry and Labor Committee
HB 1087 (Hutchinson-107th) Prevents an undocumented person who in good faith seeks law enforcement
assistance and who is a victim of family violence or who seeks assistance on behalf of a victim of family
violence from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted for being an undocumented person.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
HB 1188 (Lott-122nd) States that when a person does an immoral or indecent act involving touching of
any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the child or
the person, and such person touches such child in multiple areas of such child’s body, the touching of each
area shall constitute a separate offense of child molestation. The bill also states that each action involving
media, which is considered sexual exploitation of children will be counted as a separate offense.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
SB 316 (Anavitarte-31st) Makes it a high and aggravated misdemeanor for any person 18 years or
older to commit the offense of stalking against a minor, and makes the offense punishable by not less than
$1,000 nor more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not less than one year, or both. Requires local school
boards to notify students and parents that some acts of bullying or cyberbullying may constitute stalking.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill will be heard in committee today (MONDAY)
SB 360 (McNeill-3rd) Provides for protections from exploitation and intimidation for disabled minors and
renames this part of Georgia law “Colton’s Law”.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 370 (Cowsert-46th) Creates tax credits for certain contributions made by taxpayers to certain foster
child support organizations that assist youth who age out of foster care. The amount of tax credits issued
by the state would be capped at $20 million per year.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by Senate Finance Committee. The bill now moves onto Senate Rules
Committee
SB 381 (Robertson-29th) Increases the penalty provisions relating to pimping and pandering.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 382 (Robertson-29th) Revises provisions for misdemeanor convictions for the offense of aggravated
child molestation by raising the minimum age of victims from 13 to 14.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 461 (Dixon-45th) Adds the offense of human trafficking as a bailable offense.
STATUS: Senate Hopper
HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
HB 412 (Dempsey-13th) Provides for the licensure of individuals in the practice of applied behavior
analysis and creates the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Regulated Industries Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules Committee
HB 430 (Powell-32nd) Changes the licensure requirements for advanced practice registered nurses
(APRNs) to include a fingerprint criminal background check. Allows home health services to be provided to
individuals under a written plan of care by an APRN or physician assistant, or, as was already law, a
physician. Authorizes the collection of nurse workforce data.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Regulated Industries Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules Committee
HB 752 (Cooper-43rd) Addresses psychiatric advance directives for adults and emancipated youth.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE
HB 853 (Scott-76th) A defendant who has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been convicted of
a felony or misdemeanor and who is or was eligible for public mental health services or Social Security
Disability Insurance benefit due to a diagnosed serious mental illness may petition the court for a sentence
that includes mental health treatment and the court may allow in certain circumstances.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
HB 857 (Clark-108th) Provides that the prescribed course of study in sex education and AIDS prevention
instruction is age appropriate for grades K-9.
STATUS: Pre-filed
HB 861 (Scott-76th) Requires schools, penal institutions, and providers of temporary housing to provide
necessary menstrual products to women and girls at no cost.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services
HB 863 (Scott-76th) Requires the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of
Georgia to make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost to students in certain facilities.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee
HB 864 (Scott-76th) Requires the Ga Dept. of Human Services to apply for a waiver allowing SNAP or
WIC recipients to use their benefits to purchase diapers or menstrual products if the United States
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service creates and makes such a waiver available.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services
HB 867 (Newton-123rd) Among other things, the bill requires pharmacy benefits managers to disclose the
true net cost and final net cost (if applicable) of prescription drugs to insureds and to calculate cost sharing
requirements for insureds based on the true net cost of prescription drugs.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE
HB 869 (Byrd-20th) Prohibits state or local governments from requiring individuals to submit to
vaccinations as a condition to certain actions, from issuing immunization passports, from requiring face
masks or other facial coverings, and prohibits certain entities or individuals doing business in this state from requiring patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying vaccination, or to wear a mask or other facial covering in order to gain entry to a business, or to receive goods or services.
STATUS: Pre-filed
HB 902 (Schofield-60th) Limits the total cost sharing amount that a covered person is required to pay for
a covered prescription insulin drug to an amount not to exceed $100.00 per 30-day supply of insulin,
regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill the covered person’s prescription.
STATUS: House Insurance Committee
HB 918 (Cheokas-138th) Creates a state-based advisory council to educate medical professionals,
government agencies, legislators, and the public about rare diseases and encourage research and
treatment of rare diseases.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 939 (Mainor-56th) Requires notice of admission and daily updates with regards to examination and
treatment for mental illness from a facility to the parent or legal guardian of an involuntary minor patient
under 12 years of age.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services
HB 972 (Belton-112th) Among other things, this bill adjusts licensing provisions regarding professional
counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists.
STATUS: House Regulated Industries Committee
HB 1005 (Mainor-56th) Requires local school systems to conduct annual suicide screenings on all students
ages eight through 18.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1013 (Ralston-7th) A bill which embodies the recommendations of the Georgia Behavioral Health
Reform & Innovation Commission (established in 2019). The bill: requires health insurers of all sorts to
follow federal law (the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008) in that they must provide
meaningful coverage for the treatment of mental health or substance use disorders; establishes multiple
requirements and protocols for addressing complaints from consumers and health entities; establishes
multiple reporting and data-sharing requirements across sectors; requires care management organizations
to comply with a minimum 85% medical loss ratio (MLR); expands postsecondary loan forgiveness
programs for those in fields of study for behavioral health professions; requires those seeking to gain or
renew behavioral health professional licensure to complete surveys collecting specific data regarding
service provision and other things; establishes a three-year Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program
to be used by community service boards (CSBs) and probate courts for involuntary AOT in order to avoid
incarceration for individuals who are deemed to need behavioral health treatment; expands oversight
authority and coordination powers of the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination; creates a task force
to assist local communities in keeping people with serious mental illness out of county and municipal jails
and detention facilities (including juvenile detention); Establishes the Network of Co-Response Teams (3-5
teams across the state in the first year, with plans to expand in future years) composed of at least one
peace officer and one trained behavioral health professional, that are to respond to 9-1-1 emergency
and other calls for service or law enforcement interactions involving a person in behavioral health crisis;
adds the leadership of DECAL, TCSG, OCA, a behavioral health expert employed by the University
System of Georgia and an expert on infant and early childhood mental health, appointed by the
Governor to the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council (BHCC); tasks DBHDD, DCH, and DPH with
developing a clearinghouse of children’s behavioral health research and best practices to disseminate to
schools, practitioners, and others through training, technical assistance, and educational materials;
establishes a state-wide registry for pediatric patients residing in this state with behavioral health issues
who have had high utilization of crisis services or other high usage of resources; clarifies that CSBs are to
serve both adults and children; creates a task force composed of care management organizations,
pediatric primary care physicians, a representative of a pediatric hospital, pharmacy benefits managers,
other insurers, and pediatric mental health and substance use disorder care professionals to consider
implementation of a unified formulary for Medicaid for certain conditions, including mental health and
substance use disorder condition, how to provide training and support for multidisciplinary staff in neonatal intensive care units and nursery units to implement and sustain developmentally supportive and evidence based practices and interventions that enhance caregiver/infant attachment, expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from six months to 12 months, Medicaid billing codes to provide behavioral health services coverage for children 0-4, improving mechanisms and services for children and families in foster care or adoptive situations; establishes The Multi-Agency Treatment for Children (MATCH) team to better coordinate delivery of care between agencies for complex treatment need of children and adolescents; requires DCH to study mental health reimbursement for services under Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, and the state health benefit plan; and extends the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform & Innovation Commission until June 30, 2025.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1038 (Cooper-43rd) Limits eligibility for the rural physician tax credit to persons qualifying as a rural
physician on or before December 31, 2022 and creates a new tax credit for rural physicians, dentists,
nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
STATUS: House Ways and Means Committee
HB 1041 (Pirkle-155th) Increases the aggregate limit for tax credits for contributions to rural hospital
organizations from $60 to $75 million per taxable year.
STATUS: House Ways and Means Committee
HB 1042 (Jasperse-11th) Creates a grant program to establish primary care medical facilities (meaning
any facility where the majority of the services provided are primary care, dental, or mental health
services) in health professional shortage areas as designated by the Department of Community Health.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1057 (Greene-151st) Requires DBHDD to develop a standard suite of services that community service
boards are required to provide in their respective service areas.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1065 (Lim-99th) Revises procedures regarding emergency involuntary treatment for mental health and
alcohol and drug dependency by requiring that certain documents become part of the patient’s clinical
record and changes from 48 hours of admission to 8 hours for the time within which a physician must
examine a patient for involuntary treatment for mental health or alcohol and drug dependency.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HB 1186 (Houston-170th) Allows persons who are not licensed audiologists to use otoacoustic emissions or
auditory brainstem response technology as part of a screening process for the initial identification of
communication disorders in individuals up to age 22.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
HR 647 (Hatchett-50th) Urges the Georgia Department of Community Health to apply for federal
approval to allow institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) to qualify for Medicaid reimbursement.
STATUS: House Special Committee on Quality Healthcare
HR 651 (Hutchinson-107th) Creates the House Study Committee on Evaluating, Simplifying, and
Eliminating Duplication of Regulatory Requirements for Mental Health and Social Services Providers.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
SB 82 (Au-48th) Clarifies that the prudent layperson standard is not affected by the diagnoses (initial,
interim, final, or otherwise) given with regards to emergency medical services. Adds Emergency Medical
Technician to the definition of healthcare provider.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee
SB 330 (Albers-56th) Prohibits insurers from cancelling, modifying coverage, refusing to issue, or refusing
to renew life insurance policies solely because the applicant or insured donated a liver or kidney, and
revises an income tax deduction based on a taxpayer’s living donation of all or part of his or her liver,
pancreas, kidney, intestine, lung, or bone marrow.
STATUS: PASSED SENATE. Assigned to the House Insurance Committee
SB 341 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Provides guidelines for the prior authorization of a prescribed medication for
chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. The bill moves onto the
Senate Rules Committee
SB 342 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Requires annual reporting regarding mental health parity in healthcare plans.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. The bill will be on the
Senate floor for a vote today (MONDAY)
SB 345 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits state and local governments from mandating vaccine passports.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SB 372 (Beach-21st) Makes it illegal for local or state government or any employer to refuse, withhold
from, or deny to a person any local or state services, goods, facilities, advantages, privileges, licensing,
educational opportunities, health care access, or employment opportunities based on the person’s
vaccination status or whether the person has an immunity passport, or to discriminate based on vaccination status.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 403 (Watson-1st) “Georgia Behavioral Health and Peace Officer Co-Responder Act”- Requires each
community service board to establish a co-responder program to offer assistance or consultation to peace
officers responding to emergency calls involving individuals with behavioral health crises and allows law
enforcement agencies within a community service board’s service area to elect to partner with the
community service board to establish one or more co-responder teams. Among other things, the bill also
establishes protocols for notification of release and treatment of individuals who engage with a coresponder program.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SR 364 (Au-48th) Creates the Senate Costs and Effects of Smoking Study Committee.
STATUS: Senate Rules Committee
MATERNAL CARE AND CHILD CARE
HB 1052 (Mitchell-106th) Removes restrictions on the selection of a child’s first name, middle name, or
surname.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee
HB 1092 (Cooper-43rd) Requires that every woman arrested who is not released on bond within 72 hours
of arrest to submit to urine pregnancy testing unless she declines, and if pregnant, allows a judge to defer
any sentenced confinement until six weeks post-delivery unless the pregnant woman poses a significant
threat or danger to any person or unless declined by the pregnant woman.
STATUS: House Health and Human Services Committee
SB 338 (Burke-11th) Extends postpartum coverage under Medicaid from six months to one year following
pregnancy.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill will be on
the Senate floor for a vote today (MONDAY)
EDUCATION
HB 1 (Bonner-72nd) Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act – Prevents the creation of
“free speech zones” at public institutions of higher education.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee
HB 60 (Cantrell-22nd) “Georgia Educational Scholarship Act” – Creates a voucher program for public
school students to attend private schools with a cap on the number of students from individual districts.
Eligible students would be those whose local public schools did not offer face-to-face instruction in the prior school year, live in low-income households (under 200% FPL), children in military families, have been adopted from foster care, or have certain special education needs (an IEP, a formal diagnosis, or a 504 plan relating to a condition to be identified by the State Board). An audit every 5 years is required and
the program would be overseen by the Student Finance Commission.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules
Committee
HB 385 (Blackmon-146th) Enables retired educators to return to work full-time, after a 12-month waiting
period following retirement, while continuing to draw full Teachers Retirement System (TRS) benefits.
Employment is restricted to high-needs areas in each region as determined by Regional Education Service
Agencies (RESAs) and to retired educators with at least 30 years experience.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. Assigned to Senate Retirement Committee
HB 885 (Belton-112th) Provides that a military student may attend any public school in the local school system in which such student resides and allows such student to continue enrollment in their current public school for specified periods of time regardless of a parent’s change of residence.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the House Education Committee. The bill moves onto House Rules
Committee
HB 888 (Thomas-21st) Among other things, the bill prohibits the teaching of (but not limited to) the
following: (1) That individuals of any race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin are inherently
superior or inferior; (2) That individuals should be adversely or advantageously treated on the basis of
their race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (3) That individuals, by virtue of their race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin bear collective guilt and are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (4) That governing systems or programs which were designed to identify, select, or promote participants on the basis of merit or work ethic are discriminatory or were created by members of a particular race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin to oppress members of another race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (5) That any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; (6) That an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin; and (7) That the United States is a systemically racist country. The bill also encompasses protocols for violations of such provisions, including the possibility of withholding 20% of state QBE funds for violation.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 932 (Cantrell-22nd) Requires the University System of Georgia to classify noncitizen students with
certain refugee, special immigrant, or humanitarian parole status under federal law as in-state for tuition
purposes.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee
HB 999 (Cantrell-22nd) “Georgia Educational Freedom Act” – Establishes promise scholarship accounts to
be funded by the state in the amount of $6,000.00 per school year for each participating student and
which are to be used for private school tuition.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1043 (Jasperse-11th) Creates the Georgia Endowment for Teaching Professionals to foster a publicprivate partnership with the Technical College System of Georgia for support of postsecondary teaching professionals in high demand courses, subjects, and disciplines.
STATUS: House Higher Education Committee
HB 1048 (Scott-76th) Requires local units of administration to annually report to the State Board of
Education certain information regarding the educational performance of foster care students, including
information regarding discipline, and to provide for remediation plans when foster care students are
disproportionately failing to meet academic standards or are disproportionately subject to school
discipline compared to the overall student population.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1084 (Wade-9th) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by Georgia’s public K-12 schools,
prohibits discrimination in the schools, and requires school systems to develop a complaint resolution
process for such.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1130, HR 666 (Benton-31st) Creates development impact fees for education.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee
HB 1153 (Mainor-56th) Requires the State Board of Education to establish rules and regulations for local
school system outreach efforts regarding the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program
and local school systems to engage in such efforts. The bill also requires standards for foreign language
interpreters in educational settings and local school systems to provide notices concerning interpretation
services.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1158 (Carson-46th) “Parents’ Bill of Rights”- Establishes a consistent mechanism for parents to be
notified of information relating to the health, well-being, and education of their minor children. Prevents
state or local government entities or any agent or officer from infringing on the fundamental right of a
parent to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of his or her minor child without demonstrating
that such action is reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest, and that such action is
narrowly tailored and is not otherwise served by less restrictive means. The bill also requires school
systems, in consultation with parents, teachers, and administrators, to develop and adopt a policy to
promote parental involvement in the public schools.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1215 (Thomas-21st) Removes a provision that reduced the amount of certain funding provided to
state charter schools that offer virtual instruction.
STATUS: House Hopper
HB 1217 (Erwin-28th) Requires the inclusion of methods for the promotion of the safe and appropriate
use of technology and responsible digital citizenship in the comprehensive character education program. In
so doing, the bill revises requirements for internet safety polices in public schools, existing definitions
regarding pornography, obscene material, and the like, and allows for the withholding of state funds from
local school systems that have not provided for adequate technology protection measures.
STATUS: House Hopper
HB 1220 (Clark-108th) Requires that the prescribed course of study in public schools’ sex education and
HIV prevention instruction is age appropriate and that the subject of consent is included in the course.
STATUS: House Hopper
HB 1178 (Bonner-72nd) Requires procedures for a parent to review records relating to his or her minor
child, learn about the child’s courses of study, to object to instructional materials intended for use in the
child’s classroom or recommended by the child’s teacher, and to withdraw the child from any portion of the
school’s prescribed course of study in sex education if the parent provides a written-objection to the child’s
participation. The procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in advance of such course content so
they may withdraw their child from those portions.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HB 1184 (Williams-168th) Requires public school systems (including DJJ) to allow 11th graders to select
and administer a college entrance exam, paid for by the state, if appropriations are available.
STATUS: House Education Committee
HR 630 (Taylor-173rd) Creates the Joint Study Committee for Consolidation of County Governments and
School Systems.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill will be heard in subcommittee today
(MONDAY)
HR 650 (Gambill-15th) Creates the House Study Committee on Literacy Instruction.
STATUS: House Education Committee
SB 15 (Anderson-43rd) Creates a new category of coursework dealing with the history of Black people
and their contributions to American society. This course may be taken by students between ninth and
twelfth grade and may be required by the local education authority for high school graduation.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill will be heard in committee today (MONDAY)
SB 226 (Anavitarte-31st) Requires local boards of education to adopt a complaint resolution policy and
process to address complaints submitted by parents/guardians alleging that material (e.g. books,
websites, etc.) that is harmful to minors has been provided to their student. Requires GA DOE to establish a model complaint resolution process policy no later than September 21, 2021.
STATUS: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
SB 231 (Anavitarte-31st) Creates a pilot program to allow for certain adults to enroll in charter schools
that provide instruction only for individuals between ages 21 and 35 residing in this state who have not
attained a high school diploma.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass (with changes to the bill) by Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill now moves to the Senate Rules Committee
SB 327, SR 360 (Miller-49th) Provides for a homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes for educational
purposes in an amount equal to $100,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for residents of any
school district that has been certified by the State Board of Education for a given year to have
substantially deviated from the course curriculum approved by the State Board of Education.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 328 (Mullis-53rd) Provides for the designation of a nonprofit organization to govern Georgia high
school athletics.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 333 (Albers-56th) Removes provisions related to agents and agent’s permits; to repeal definitions of
such terms; provides for new exemptions from applicability of the part relating to certain programs for
industry-specific certifications and certain short courses; and expands exemption for certain programs
where students obtain occupational training through employment experience.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 334 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits high schools which receive QBE funding from participating in or sponsoring interscholastic sports events conducted by any athletic association unless the association has separate regions and playoffs for certain private schools and certain public schools.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 357 (Kirkpatrick-32nd) Allows military students to select adjacent school districts for attendance and
provides for a standard process of military student school transfer.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 375 (Mullis-53rd) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by Georgia’s public K-12 schools,
prohibits discrimination in the schools and requires school systems to develop a complaint resolution process for such.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 377 (Hatchett-50th) Prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts” by the Board of Regents of the
University System of Georgia, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, units of the
University System of Georgia, units of the Technical College System of Georgia, local boards of education,
and local school systems.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill will be heard in committee today (MONDAY)
SB 378 (Albers-56th) expands the definition of hazing to include minors and beefs up penalties and
reporting requirements for hazing affecting all ages.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 379 (Strickland-17th) Requires the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to
establish a program to promote the creation and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in the
state.
STATUS: Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee
SB 397 (Goodman-8th) Updates and replaces terminology related to general educational development
(GED) diplomas; provides for state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diplomas; and updates the
minimum standards and requirements for such diplomas to be established by the Technical College System
of Georgia.
STATUS: Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 435 (Harbin-16th) Prohibits Georgia public schools or participating private schools whose students or
teams compete against a Georgia public school from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic
programs or activities that permit a person of one gender to participate in an athletic program or activity
that is designated for persons of the opposite gender.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 449 (Dixon-45th) Requires procedures for a parent to review records relating to his or her minor child,
learn about the child’s courses of study, to object to instructional materials intended for use in the child’s
classroom or recommended by the child’s teacher, and to withdraw the child from any portion of the
school’s prescribed course of study in sex education if the parent provides a written-objection to the child’s
participation. The procedures must provide for a parent to be notified in advance of such course content so
they may withdraw their child from those portions.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 452 (McNeill-3rd) Requires public school systems (including DJJ) to allow 11th graders to select and
administer a college entrance exam, paid for by the state, if appropriations are available.
STATUS: Senate Education and Youth Committee
SB 460 (Orrock-36th) Allows that noncitizen students who have received a grant of deferred action for
childhood arrivals from the United States Department of Homeland Security may be extended the same
consideration as citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state classification
for purposes of tuition and fees by the University System and the Technical College System of Georgia.
STATUS: Senate Hopper
MISCELLANEOUS
HB 218 (Ballinger-23rd) Allows reciprocity for any state’s weapons carry license as long as the holder
carries according to Georgia’s laws. The bill also requires the attorney general to enter into a reciprocity
agreement with any state that requires one in order to recognize and give effect to a Georgia-issued
license in their state.
STATUS: PASSED HOUSE. PASSED SENATE. The bill awaits transmission to the governor for his
consideration
HB 541 (Bruce-61st) Creates the Georgia Equity and Fairness Commission, which would examine the
extent to which the State of Georgia supported the institution of slavery and its ongoing ramifications. The
Commission would also recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the commission’s findings.
STATUS: House Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill will be heard in subcommittee today
(MONDAY)
HB 846 (Smith-41st) Allows local authorities to regulate the operation of bicycles upon sidewalks by
persons under the age of 16 or with disabilities.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 894 (Boddie-62nd) Provides that a prospective tenant shall not be refused a rental or lease
agreement solely based upon a previous eviction during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee
HB 903 (Gullett-19th) Expands places where firearms may be carried and eliminates licensure for
carrying a concealed weapon.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 917 (Cameron-1st) Allows lifetime weapons carry licenses.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 927 (Hutchinson-107th) Revises terminology referring to persons who are noncitizens and present in
the United States without official documentation from “illegal alien” to “undocumented person”.
STATUS: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee
HB 960 (Leverett-33rd) Creates the Office of the Inspector General in order to investigate the
management and operation of agencies. The office shall be assigned to the Office of the Governor for
administrative purposes only.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee
HB 995 (Boddie-62nd) Requires employers to provide at least five days of sick leave per year for an
employee that can be used for the care of immediate family members.
STATUS: House Industry and Labor Committee
HB 1040 (Bentley-139th) Requires community action agencies to submit audit reports and IRS forms to the Department of Audits and Accounts before any contracts with the Department of Human Services are made or offered and requires each member of the board of directors of a community action agency to execute contracts between the community action agency and the Department of Human Services.
STATUS: House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee. The bill will be heard in committee this
WEDNESDAY
HB 1149 (Burnough-77th) “Georgia Evictions Records Restriction Act”; Requires certain records of
dispossessory actions be sealed from the public when the plaintiff does not prevail, a settlement
agreement is effectuated; or when three years have lapsed since a resolved case of dispossessory action
caused by nonpayment. The bill also states that during a public health emergency, a one-time sealing of
civil case records in dispossessory actions shall be effective immediately provided that such action was due
to nonpayment caused by uncontrolled loss of income.
STATUS: House Judiciary Committee
HB 1185 (Lewis-Ward-109th) Except to the extent determined by the court, allows a ward to retain and
exercise all of the powers of a person without a disability, including the right to communicate, visit, or
interact with other persons through visits, telephone calls, or personal mail; and, by presuming a ward’s
consent allows communication, visitation, or interaction with a person based on the ward’s prior relationship with such person if the ward is unable to express consent because of a physical or mental condition.
STATUS: House Juvenile Justice Committee
HR 581 (Neal-74th) Allows the net proceeds of one or more Georgia Lottery games to be used for
economic development programs and loans to support small businesses located in Georgia that are
independently owned and operated by students enrolled in a recognized course of study at a Georgia
institution of higher education.
STATUS: House Regulated Industries Committee
SB 197 (Jackson-41st) Includes the residence of the defendant in the list of places occupied by a victim of
stalking.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 323 (Miller-49th) Repeals the state income tax in its entirety.
STATUS: Senate Finance Committee
SB 344 (Harrell-40th) Requires training to possess a handgun or long gun and establishes training
standards. The bill also provides for the offenses of possession of a firearm without proper training and
failure to store a firearm in a secure manner.
STATUS: Senate Public Safety Committee
SB 351 (Thompson-14th) “Woman’s Right to Know Act” – Creates extensive requirements relating to the
use of abortion-inducing drugs and extensive reporting requirements, plus the bill prohibits abortioninducing drugs in school facilities or on state property, and defines penalties for such.
STATUS: Senate Health and Human Services Committee
SB 352 (Thompson-14th) Provides for the issuance of expedited licenses by endorsement for certain
licenses to spouses of firefighters, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers who relocate to
Georgia.
STATUS: Recommended Do Pass by the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. The bill moves onto the Senate Rules Committee
SB 374 (Tillery-19th) Establishes the Georgia Data Analytic Center as an agent of all executive state
agencies.
STATUS: Senate Science and Technology Committee
SB 388 (Jackson-2nd) Increases the minimum wage and provides for annual minimum wage increases to
match the rising cost of living.
STATUS: Senate Insurance and Labor Committee
SB 396 (Goodman-8th) Changes the name of the Georgia State Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to
the Georgia Grown Farm to Food Bank Program (F2FB), and requires food procured pursuant to such
program be Georgia grown. The bill also authorizes persons who provide services to such program or the
Department of Agriculture to receive food from the program if qualified as a recipient.
STATUS: Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee
SB 439 (Tippins-37th) Allows the landlord in a dispossessory proceeding to appear during the trial or be
represented by an agent, attorney in fact, or attorney at law.
STATUS: Senate Judiciary Committee
SB 456 (Thompson-14th) Requires abortion-inducing drugs only be provided or prescribed by a qualified
physician following procedures outlined in the bill. It also makes it unlawful for any manufacturer, supplier, physician, qualified physician, or any other person to provide any abortion-inducing drug via courier, delivery, or mail service. The bill prohibits abortion-inducing drugs in school facilities or on state property.
STATUS: Senate Hopper