Gov. Kemp Signs Legislation Strengthening Education System in Georgia

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp, accompanied by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, members of the General Assembly, and state and local leaders, signed a comprehensive package of education legislation into law, including SB 233 - providing Georgia students in underperforming schools with greater freedom and choice in their education.

Sponsored by Senator Greg Dolezal, signed by Senators Matt Brass, Shawn Still, Ed Setzler, and Steve Gooch, carried in the House by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, SB 233 creates a promise scholarship of $6,500 for each participating student that can be used towards qualified education expenses including tuition, fees, textbooks, and tutoring among others.

Students qualify for the scholarship if they meet requirements including having been enrolled in a public school for two consecutive enrollment counts (unless they would be entering kindergarten), being zoned for a school in the lowest 25 percent of all public schools, with priority for participation being given to economically disadvantaged students and students who were previous participants.

"There is nothing more important to the continued success of our state than safeguarding and strengthening the lives, education and future of our students, and that can only be accomplished by ensuring Georgia students have access to as many opportunities and choices as possible that will set them up for success” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As I stated in my State of the State address, we can and must take an all-of-the-above approach to K-12 education, and thanks to Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Senator Greg Dolezal keeping this issue a priority, Georgia is affording greater choice to families as to how and where they receive their education, while also continuing our efforts to strengthen public schools, support teachers, and secure our classrooms. This could not have been accomplished without their diligent work and the support of our additional partners in the General Assembly.

In addition to the creation of the Promise Scholarship, SB 233, among other things, also allows students to attend a public school outside of their resident system without needing the approval of said system and increases the tax credit for donations to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. The maximum amount of tax credits allowed is raised by $10 million with the requirement that all of these additional funds must go to the schools who have performed in the lowest 25 percent.

Along with SB 233, Governor Kemp signed six additional pieces of legislation included below:

HB 318, sponsored by Representative Scott Hilton, signed by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Representatives Matt Dubnick, Brad Thomas, Mesha Mainor, and Todd Jones, carried in the Senate by Senator Shelly Echols, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, moves the Office of Charter School Compliance from the Georgia Department of Education to the State Charter Schools Commission and allows them to assist local school systems in their role as charter school authorizers. Additionally, the criteria for low-wealth capital outlay grants are changed to give districts more time to plan their use of the funds.

HB 318 also included attached legislation sponsored by Representatives Tim Fleming and John Corbett.

HB 409, sponsored by Representative Lauren Daniel, signed by Representatives James Burchett, Trey Kelley, Matt Reeves, Rob Everett, and Stacey Evans, carried in the Senate by Senator Rick Williams, and heard in the House Committee on Government Affairs by Chairman John Lahood and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, directs school systems to consider not having stops where a student would have to cross a roadway with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or greater. It also increases the penalty for passing a stopped school bus to $1,000, following the death of 8-year-old Addy Pierce who was struck by a motorist as she boarded her school bus.

The bill also allows charter schools to utilize teachers or other staff who are employees of an education service provider as long as the school’s board maintains the authority over their selection and dismissal.

Ashley Pierce, the mother of Addy Pierce, passionately advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of this legislation.

HB 1122, sponsored by Representative Scott Hilton, signed by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Representatives Matt Dubnick, Bethany Ballard, Segun Adeyina, and Todd Jones, carried in the Senate by Senator Matt Brass, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, provides state charter schools that have over 1,000 students, funding for a superintendent. State and local charter schools will also receive funding for principals. It also allows for children of part-time charter school employees to attend the school their parent teaches at and low-level local system employees to serve on the board of a state charter school.

SB 351, sponsored by Senator Jason Anavitarte, signed by Senators Randy Robertson, Matt Brass, John Kennedy, Steve Gooch, and Shawn Still, carried in the House by Representative Scott Hilton, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, requires the Department of Education and local boards to adopt policies on social media, cyberbullying, and internet usage. It requires that social media companies verify that their users are at least 16 years of age or older unless they receive approval from an individual’s parents to use the service. It also requires websites whose content is comprised of over a third of material that is harmful to minors to verify that their users are age 18 or older.

SB 351 was a priority of Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and also included attached legislation sponsored by Representatives Chris Erwin and Rick Jasperse.

SB 395, sponsored by Senator Clint Dixon, signed by Senators Sam Watson, Larry Walker, Brian Strickland, and Sonya Halpern, carried in the House by Representative Derrick McCollum, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin and the Senate Committee on Education and Youth by Chairman Clint Dixon, states that no school visitor or personnel can be prohibited from possessing an opioid antagonist such as Narcan and directs schools to maintain a supply. It also allows opioid antagonists to be sold in vending machines and directs certain government buildings to maintain a supply of at least three doses.

A portion of this bill is named Wesley's Law, named after Wesley Gay and was advocated for by Wesley's parents, Laura and Larry Gay.

SB 464, sponsored by Senator Clint Dixon, signed by Senators Chuck Payne, Shawn Still, Shelly Echols, and Jason Anavitarte, amended by Senator Billy Hickman, carried in the House by Representative Bethany Ballard, and heard in the House Committee on Education by Chairman Chris Erwin, creates the School Supplies for Teachers Program to financially and technically support teachers purchasing school supplies online; creates an executive committee of five voting members within the literacy council; and limits the number of approved literacy screeners to five with one being the option available to schools for free.

Governor Kemp extends his appreciation to all of those whose diligent work and efforts led to him being able to sign these bills today.