GAE 2020 LEGISLATIVE TRACKING SHEET Updated Monday, February 17, 11:00 p.m. Not all legislative links are to an updated or current version of the bill. The status of a bill on the Georgia General Assembly is normally updated online only after passage by a committee or by either the House of Representatives or Senate.

Bill # Description Status/Notes

Senate Bills

SB 45 Beach. Bi-partisan. Horse track In State Institutions and Property Gaming betting. Could? benefit education Committee. Subject of a hearing funding, HOPE and pre-k, if Wed., Jan 29. No vote was taken. implemented by Georgia Lottery. Passage appears to be in doubt. SB 163 Thompson. Would allow home- Passed Senate 35-19 in 2019. In Homeschooling. schooled students to participate in House Education Committee this Athletics extracurricular and interscholastic year. activities in the student's resident public school system. SB 165 Thompson, Mullis. Creates a new Passed committee on March 4, 2019; Athletics non-profit organization to govern high recommitted to Senate Education and school athletics apparently to Youth Committee on January 13, supplant the authority of the Georgia 2020. High School Association (GHSA.) SB 173 Dolezal. (backed by Lt. Gov. Duncan) A Defeated by full Senate in 2019. GAE Vouchers voucher bill that would provide tax- led opposition to the bill. A newly exempt, taxpayer funded private modified version is possible this school tuition for the children of session. wealthy parents. Proponents of this bill have been quiet so far this session, nonetheless, GAE’s is prepared for it to be re-introduced this year. SB 209 Jones, Butler, Sims, Henson. There was a study committee on the CCRPI Eliminates Financial Efficiency Star matter chaired by Sen. Lindsey Rating (FESR.) Tippins this past year. SB 209 passed Senate Education and Youth Committee on March 4, 2019, tabled by the full Senate on March 7 and was recommitted to committee on January 13, 2020. SB 210 Mullis. Bi-partisan. Mandates recess Passed Senate Education and Youth K-5 recess in elementary schools and K-5. Committee on March 4, 2019. On January 13, 2020, sent back to [See also, HB 843 (Douglas, D- committee. Legislation to adopt a Stockbridge) - also bi-partisan - similar mandatory recess period passed the proposed legislation, in House General Assembly last year by a Education Committee.] large margin but was vetoed by Gov. Kemp. SB 219 Jordan. Bi-partisan. Requires students Passed Senate 49-0 on March 7, 2019. GED seeking GED to correctly answer 60% In House Education Committee. of the questions on the U.S. Citizenship Civics Test. SB 282 Beech, Albers. Research universities First read on January 27, 2020. Post-secondary in the state must offer early Assigned to Senate Higher Education admissions to ensure that at least 90% Committee. No further action. of early admissions are offered to Georgia resident students. SB 284 Thompson, P. K. Martin. Allows Pre-filed but not yet first read, Charter schools students over age of 20 to attend therefore, no committee assignment. charter schools. No further action. SB 294 Black. Allows TRS to invest up to 5% Assigned to Senate Retirement Retirement in private “alternative” investments. Committee. Subject of a hearing Other state public employee pension before the Senate Retirement funds are allowed and have shown Committee on Wednesday, January significant return on these types of 29. No vote was taken, but a vote is investments. expected when the committee meets again possibly Tuesday, February 18. SB 298 Unterman. Vaping. Requires local In House Regulated Industries and Health boards of education to teach the Utilities Committee. Hearing held on dangers of vaping to its students and Thurs., Jan 30. No vote was taken. raises from 18 to 21 the age Passed committee on Feb. 4 by individuals can buy such products. substitute. SB 349 James. A bill to require schools and Filed February 3. Assigned to Senate Education policy school systems to provide feminine Education and Youth. hygiene products in female- designated restrooms rest-rooms grades 6-12, without charge. SB 354 Parent. Pertaining to the Georgia Filed February 3 and assigned to the DECAL Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) Senate Education and Youth program, administered by DECAL Committee. (Department of Early Care and Learning.) SB 367 Martin. Gov. Kemp’s proposed “high- Assigned to Senate Education and High-stakes testing stakes” testing bill. Reduces number Youth Committee. of test, more in line with federal requirements, some which are duplicative of others.

House Bills

HB 109 Benton. Makes changes to TRS Passed House Retirement Committee TRS/Retirement benefits for new teachers that, in the on February 27, 2019. Withdrawn, most recently amended version of the sent back to committee. bill, changed in committee on Feb. 4, would prohibit “sick days” from being Subcommittee substitute presented credited to the length of service for on Feb. 4, 2020. Current version [not retirement benefits and would also available online] deletes everything in limit TRS COLA benefits, for all the bill except for Section 4, which teachers, to once a year, which would eliminates the ability of new teachers by necessity lower teacher retirement to use accrued sick days for pensions. retirement after July 1, 2021, and Section 9, which reduces to once a year COLAs for all teachers, eliminating compounded half-year COLAs. No vote taken. Will be a subject of a vote of the House Retirement Committee on Tues., Feb, 18.

HB 292 Benton. Eliminates certain payments Heard Tuesday, January 28, House Retirement required to be made by the University Retirement Committee, and passed. System of Georgia to the Teachers Could be considered by the full House Retirement System of Georgia. as early as Tues., Feb 18. HB 320 Belton. Bi-partisan. Permits certain Heard, January 28, House Retirement Retirement public employers to employ, full-time, Committee. No vote. HB 320 and HB beneficiaries of the Teachers 336 are similar bills that the Retirement System of Georgia in high- committee considered together. HB need STEAM positions. 320 applied only to STEAM teachers. HB 336 applies to any teacher in high- demand positions. HB 336 is now the bill that embraces language from both legislation; thus, HB 320 is effectively dead for this 2020 session; thereafter, we do not expect HB 320 to advance. HB 336 Blackmon. To require public Heard in committee on January 28 in Retirement employers (school systems) to make House Retirement Committee. No employer and employee contributions vote. The committee generally to the Teachers Retirement System on seemed receptive to the bill though behalf of retired teachers returning in the chairman of the committee asked full-time, high-need and STEAM for a revised fiscal note and revisions positions in high-need teaching to the bill to reflect recommendations positions, one year after retirement. of the committee members.

Will be considered by the House Retirement Committee on Tues., Feb. 18. HB 426 Efstration. Bi-partisan. Hate crimes Passed the House on March 7, 2019. Crime bill. Currently, in Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 444 Reeves. Dual enrollment program. Passed the House on March 7, 2019, Dual enrollment 99-72. Passed Senate Rules, January State would no longer pay dual 16, 2020. Passed the full Senate 34- enrollment for high school freshmen 18, as amended, on January 28, and limits funding for sophomores to 2020. Bill will return to the House technical college classes and those where the representatives will decide with a 3.7 gpa. whether or not to accept the Senate changes to the bill. If not, it is likely a Limits dual enrollment to 30 hours per conference committee would be student for college courses that the appointed to resolve the differences. state funds. Could be considered as early as Tues., Feb. 18. Tightens the definition of the type of courses covered. Funding restricted to courses in English, math, science, social studies, or a foreign language.

No funding for students who drop two or more dual enrollment classes, unless hardship.

Grandfathers benefits for any dual enrollment student in the system before July 1, 2020.

HB 667 Martin. Makes changes to TRS, Hearing, January 14, 2020 in House Retirement presumably now, to address unfunded Retirement Committee; no vote. current version not liabilities. Sponsor announced at hearing that online the bill no longer requires more conservative TRS assumptions. Bill is expensive. Probably has a difficult path to passage in the current fiscal climate. HB 736 Belton, Glanton. Bi-partisan. Would Referred to House Higher Education Turnaround schools establish student loan forgiveness Committee on January 14, 2020. program for teachers who receive a Subject of the committee hearing on degree from a state education Wed., Jan 29. No vote. Concept program, up to $5,000 a year for five favorably received by committee years, and who agree to teach in members but with some specific "turnaround" schools in a high concerns expressed. May be a demand subject. subject of a committee hearing soon. HB 741 Belton, Stovall. Bi-partisan. Provides Referred to House Higher Education Turnaround schools for a master teacher in each Committee on January 14, 2020. No turnaround school and stipend. further action. HB 743 Mitchell. D-Stone Mountain. Bi- Filed January 16, 2020. Assigned to Athletics partisan. Allows college and House Higher Education Committee. university student athletes to receive compensation for their use of name, image or likeness, similar to a recently enacted California law. HB 747 Singleton. Would prohibit public and Pre-filed on December 19, 2019. No Gender. Athletics. governmental facilities (including first reader yet. The author may have public schools) from hosting athletics elected not to pursue the bill this year. competitions in which "a person who is not a biological male is allowed to participate in athletic events conducted exclusively for males" and vice versa. HB 755 Jones. Bi-partisan. Local boards of Referred to House Education education shall provide local charter Committee on January 15, 2020. No schools with “itemized allotment further action. sheets” for the upcoming fiscal year by July 1 of each year.

HB 764 Jones. Bi-partisan. Allows the State Referred to House Education Charter Properties Commission to provide for Committee on January 15, 2020. the use of unused facilities to local charter schools and state charter schools. HB 766 Scott. Creates a stipend for student Referred to House Higher Education Athletics athletes that compete in certain Committee on January 15, 2020. athletic events, such as bowl games, championships, playoffs, tournaments and other similar activities. 33 percent of revenue derived from these athletic events would be deposited into a stipend fund, which would be available to eligible athletes upon graduation. HB 783 E. Thomas. Requires compulsory Assigned to House Education Compulsory education education for students up to 17 years- Committee on January 16, 2020. of-age. Attempts to address Georgia’s alarming high-school dropout rates. [See also, SB 343.] HB 784 Lumsden. Allow local boards of Passed House Governmental Affairs School safety/open education to meet and vote in private Committee on January 28, 2020, 9-6. meetings in executive session to discuss school Could be voted on by full House as safety plans. Some legislators want to early as Tues., Feb. 18. amend the language to permit discussion in executive session but require the vote in public, which is what we believe Georgia code requires in similar circumstances for behind-close-door meetings. HB 809 Kausche. Prohibits the sales of Referred to House Regulated Health tobacco products to anyone under 21 Industries on January 29, 2020. years of age. HB 843 Douglas, Trammell. Bi-partisan. To Legislation to adopt a mandatory Elementary require mandatory recess for recess period passed the General elementary students and K-5. [See Assembly last year by large margins also, SB 210.] but was vetoed by Gov. Kemp. HB 845 Filed January 29, 2020 by Rep. Assigned to the House Education Special Education Glanton. Bi-partisan. Pertaining to Committee. special education teachers and to, apparently, increase the salary schedule for special education teachers. HB 880 Glanton. The “Unlocking the Promise Filed February 3 and referred to the Community schools Community Schools Act,” a bill to House Education Committee. provide for a pilot program to plan, implement, and improve sustainable “community schools.” HB 885 Wiedower. First read on Jan. 31. Assigned to House Education. Foster care

Directs the Department of Education to adopt criteria to determine the eligibility of foster care students who are victims of trauma for special education. HB 892 Moore. Bi-partisan. To require the Assigned to House Education Bullying Georgia Department of Education to Committee. adopt policies on “bullying” and to require school principals to report any suspected instances of bullying in “a timely manner” and “whether the incident must be reported to any local, state, or federal agency or official.” HB 896 Trammel. Guarantees in-state tuition Filed on February 5, 2020. Not yet Post-secondary rates to all Georgia high school first read. graduates, including undocumented emigrants, who attend at least three years of high school in Georgia and enroll in “an institution of higher education located in this state that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.” Budget bill Pay raises for teachers ($2k/$362.2; The House Appropriations Budget last year’s $3k/ $530 million) Committee’s Subcommittee on (HB 793) Education and the Subcommittee on Full QBE funding Higher Education met on Wednesday, See also: HB January 29 on the specifics of the 792, HB 794, HB 795, HB 5 percent raise bus drivers and school governor’s proposed education 796, and HB food service workers budget. No action taken. 797 USG and Technical College System employees earning less than $40,000 will get a $1k

DECAL gets $14 million pay increases to schedule and 5% for assistant teachers

$513 million in construction borrowing for K-12/college building projects

$12.5 million in bonds to pay for school buses

State of the State: Reduce “high stakes” tests.