Legislative News
Legislative Update:
One more Legislative Session is in the books. One hot topic is the bill (HB788) to allow students to attend schools outside of their district. Another bill (SB361) that has made news proposes to allow school staff to participate in prayer. Both of these failed. So what passed? Elementary children will have a minimum of 30 minutes of recess, the Fulton County teacher’s pension and retirement plan was amended, students with parents in the military will be granted excused absences to spend time with parents on leave from overseas deployments, schools are required to conduct certain screening before suspending a K-3 student, student attendance and school climate committees will be established in each county, Hope will establish need based scholarships.
Below is a list of education related bills that may be of interest to Dolvin parents. Click on the links to read the full text of the legislation. Contact your representatives in the House and Senate to let them know what you think and what is important to you.
Contact me if you have any questions about the information presented on this page.
Christine Austin
Legislative Director – Dolvin PTA
Christine00austin@gmail.com
770-896-8142
Georgia General Assembly 2018 session
Bills outstanding from the 2017 session
Click on the links to access the full text and contact your legislators to let them know what you think. You may follow the Georgia General Assembly to track specific legislation.
Find your state legislator – below are links to the State Representatives and State Senators for the Dolvin school district. Use the link to find out whose district you are in and let them know what legislation is important to you.
Chuck Martin
Brad Raffensperger
John Albers
David Shafer
One more Legislative Session is in the books. One hot topic is the bill (HB788) to allow students to attend schools outside of their district. Another bill (SB361) that has made news proposes to allow school staff to participate in prayer. Both of these failed. So what passed? Elementary children will have a minimum of 30 minutes of recess, the Fulton County teacher’s pension and retirement plan was amended, students with parents in the military will be granted excused absences to spend time with parents on leave from overseas deployments, schools are required to conduct certain screening before suspending a K-3 student, student attendance and school climate committees will be established in each county, Hope will establish need based scholarships.
Below is a list of education related bills that may be of interest to Dolvin parents. Click on the links to read the full text of the legislation. Contact your representatives in the House and Senate to let them know what you think and what is important to you.
Contact me if you have any questions about the information presented on this page.
Christine Austin
Legislative Director – Dolvin PTA
Christine00austin@gmail.com
770-896-8142
Georgia General Assembly 2018 session
- HB 0114 – Dual credit courses – this bill seeks to prohibit schools from excluding dual credit students from valedictorian and salutatorian determinations – this bill from 2017 passed the House and has be recommitted by the Senate so it is in play for 2018 - Failed
- HB 0246 – Annual Fitness Assessment Program – this bill seeks to remove the sunset provision from the Annual Fitness Assessment Program (currently set to end in 2019) – committee favorably reported in 2017 and have recommitted for 2018 - Failed
- HB 0273 – Require 30 minutes of recess – this bill seeks to require a minimum of 30 minutes of recess per day for elementary students, defined as unstructured activity time that may not be taken away as a punishment – passed the house and Senate committee favorably reported 2/13/18 – Adopted
- HB 0538 – Pension and Retirement Pay for Fulton County BOE employees - -passed House – referred by Senate 2/12/18 – Adopted
- HB 0718 – Excused absences for students with parents in the Armed Forces – House second read 1/24/18 – Update passed house moved to Senate - – Adopted
- HB 0740 – To require screenings prior to suspension or expulsion of K-3 students – House committee favorably reported 2/8/181– Update passed house moved to Senate – Adopted
- HB 0762 – To provide sexual abuse awareness K-9 – House second read 1/31/08 – did not pass
- HB 0763 – To establish Student Attendance and School Climate committees in each county - -House committee favorably reported 2/8/18 – Update passed house moved to Senate – Adopted
- HB 0788 – Allows students to enroll in any school district using a friend’s address to establish residency – House second read 2/5/1808 – did not pass
- SB 0082 – Need based HOPE scholarships – the bill seeks to amend the HOPE scholarship program to provide for need based scholarships for households with annual gross income less than $75,000 – senate committee second read 2/8/18– Update passed Senate moved to House – Adopted
- SB 0361 – Freedom of religious speech for students and faculty - -Senate referred to committee 1/30/18 – did not pass
Bills outstanding from the 2017 session
- HB 0016 – Revise bullying provisions – this bill relates to the discipline of students and seeks to prohibit bullying and harassment and require annual reporting of incidents – second read -- hasn’t moved since the 2017 session
- HB 0024 – Quality Basic Education Act – incentive pay for certain teachers – this bill seeks to provide incentive pay for teachers in low-income schools – second read – no movement since 2017
- HB 0028 – Require testing for lead in drinking water – this bill would require schools to test drinking water and provide a remediation plan if lead contamination is found – second read – no movement since 2017
- HB 0170 – Student online personal information protections act – this bill seeks to establish protections for students online personal information and to establish security procedures and processes – second read – no progress since 2017
- HB 0179 – HOPE – revise eligibility for homeschool students – this bill seeks to provide HOPE eligibility for homeschool students and students from ineligible schools based on standardized college admissions tests – second read – no progress since 2017
- HB 0200 – Authorize students to carry and self-administer sunscreen – this bill seeks to allow students to use sunscreen while at school and on school property – second read – no progress on this since 2017
- HB 0392 – Funding for dual credit courses – this bill seeks to provide funding for students taking dual credit courses at institutions with nonstandard terms – second read –– Passed House moved to Senate
- HB 0415 – Designate nonprofit to govern high school athletics – this bill seeks to establish a nonprofit organization to govern high school athletics – committee favorably reported in 2017
- HR 0001 – Funding driver education – this resolution proposes and amendment to the Constitution to authorize the General Assembly to fund driver education training courses in public schools – second read – no movement since 2017
- HR 0319 – 1% sales tax for local schools -- this resolution proposes and amendment to the Constitution to authorize local school boards to collect a 1% sales tax for maintenance and operations – House second read – no progress since 2017
- SB 0029 – To require schools to test drinking water for lead – Senate passed – house second read in 2017
- SB 0113 – Automatic HOPE for children of public officials killed in line of duty – this bill seeks to provide for automatic eligibility for HOPE scholarships for children of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and prison guards who are killed or disables in the line of duty – senate referred to committee - no progress since 2017
- SB 0203 -- Designate nonprofit to govern high school athletics - this bill seeks to establish a nonprofit organization to govern high school athletics – Senate referred to committee in 2017
Click on the links to access the full text and contact your legislators to let them know what you think. You may follow the Georgia General Assembly to track specific legislation.
Find your state legislator – below are links to the State Representatives and State Senators for the Dolvin school district. Use the link to find out whose district you are in and let them know what legislation is important to you.
Chuck Martin
Brad Raffensperger
John Albers
David Shafer