Prepared by Paul Smith, Executive Director, Citizen Impact
Updated March 29

FINAL ISSUES

Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program/Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs)
House Bill 283 included changes to this program as an amendment to a large education bill. The final version included a modest increase to the annual cap of $58 million, and removed the automatic escalator (which automatically raised the cap each year based on an inflation index). Here is a summary of the rest of the bill:
• Requires students to attend a Georgia public school for at least six weeks unless they are:
>eligible to enroll in first grade, kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten.
>zoned to attend a public school that the Office of Student Achievement determines to be a low-performing school.
>a victim of bullying.
were home schooled for the entire previous school year.
• SSOs must consider the financial needs of students when awarding scholarships.
• SSOs must publicly disclose the number of scholarships they provide, the number and amount of donations they receive, etc.
• ‘S’ Corporations may donate up to $10,000 per year.
• Reduces the amount of money SSOs may set aside for administrative costs, based on annual revenue received.
>$1.5 million and up to and including $10 million, must obligate at least 93 percent.
>$10 million and up to and including $20 million, at least 94 percent.
>$20 million and up, at least 95 percent.
• Prohibits donors from designating their donation to any particular individual.
STATUS: passed House and Senate; Governor Deal must sign it.

Early Childhood Education
House Bill 350 requires both operators and employees of licensed child care facilities to undergo a federal fingerprint background check. Christian schools applying for a license prior to requesting an exemption must fulfill this requirement to obtain their license, but will be exempt from future background checks once they receive their exemption from Bright from the Start.
STATUS: passed House and Senate, Governor Deal must sign it.

HOPE / Zell Miller Scholarship
House Bill 372 lowers the minimum grade point average for maintaining eligibility to 2.0 (from 3.0). This does NOT change the GPA requirement for high school students to initially qualify for the scholarships.
STATUS: passed House 3/7; passed Senate 3/22 with changes, 3/26 House agrees to Senate version; Governor Deal must sign it.

“Return to Play Act of 2013”
House Bill 284 requires public and private schools which provide youth athletic activities to provide information to parents on the nature and risk of concussion and head injury and to establish concussion management and “return to play” policies.
STATUS: passed House 3/01; passed Senate 3/26; Governor Deal must sign it.

Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship
House Bill 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; passed Senate 3/26; Governor Deal must sign it.