Prepared by Paul Smith, Executive Director, Citizen Impact
Updated March 5

CURRENT ISSUES:

Race to the Top/Common Core
SB 167 (pertaining to common core curriculum, and nullifying any commitments relating to the federal Race to the Top program) did not get a vote in committee, so is stalled, but not dead. Supporters of this bill, including Paul Smith, are going to meet with Gov. Deal about it.
SB 203 was introduced to establish a Curriculum Content Standards Advisory Council to review and revise competencies and content standards.
STATUS: SB 203 and SB 167 are both in the Senate Education & Youth Committee

Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program/Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs)
Senate Bill 243 is supported by the Gov. Deal, with the purpose of:
• Providing scholarship consideration to students with financial needs. (Not a means test to obtain scholarship – not yet.)
• Ensuring more money goes to scholarships by restricting the amount of money available for administrative costs.
• Clarifying eligibility requirements by requiring students to be enrolled in a Georgia public school for at least six weeks or be eligible to enroll in first grade, kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten.
• Increasing transparency by requiring annually that each SSO publicly disclose various information.
• Ensuring that donors cannot designate their donation to any particular individual.
HB 140 and SB 221, also relating to the tax credit program, appear to be dead.

OTHER BILLS OF NOTE:

Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship
HB 70 allows for a waiver, in certain circumstances, of the requirement of one school year in attendance at a Georgia public school.
STATUS: passed House 2/25; now is Senate.

HOPE / Zell Miller Scholarship
HB 54 lowers minimum grade point average for maintaining eligibility to 2.0 (from 3.0)
STATUS: no movement
Senate Bills 111 and 112 change the requirements to be a Zell Miller Scholar.
STATUS: no movement

Childcare centers/Preschools
HB 46 requires a satisfactory child protective services report for employees and directors of day-care centers.
STATUS: no movement

Carbon Monoxide Detectors
HB 23 and SB 89 dictate that “every public and private elementary and secondary school in Georgia shall have carbon monoxide detectors and warning equipment.”
STATUS: no movement

Universal Kindergarten Mandate
SB 57 would lower the age of mandatory school attendance from 6 to 5 years old.
• This may get little traction because of the fiscal impact to public schools.
• Home school organizations will likely oppose this bill.
STATUS: no movement