24 LC 49 1919S
The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following
substitute to HB 282:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for improved curriculum, programs,2
and activities related to civic education, English as a Second Language, and career readiness;3
to provide for a definition; to prioritize the use of school facilities to certain youth groups;4
to provide for a civic education coursework; to provide a minimum course of study in career5
readiness education; to provide for legislative findings; to direct the Department of Education6
to develop, assemble, and make available instructional resources and materials concerning7
employability and career readiness skills, career exploration, and career oriented learning8
experiences; to provide for community outreach efforts regarding English for speakers of9
other languages (ESOL) programs; to provide for standards for foreign language interpreters;10
to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for instructional materials and content on11
civic education in digital or electronic format; to provide for the payment of the costs of12
health insurance coverage for family members of local board of education members; to13
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:15
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SECTION 1.16
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and17
secondary education, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-12, which is reserved, as18
follows:19
"20-2-12.20
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'patriotic society' means a youth group listed in21
Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, including the Boy Scouts of22
America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils and the Girl Scouts of the United23
States of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils.24
(b) Every local board of education that uses state funds to implement programs under this25
chapter shall give priority in the use of school facilities to a patriotic society in order to26
encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by27
a patriotic society at times other than instructional time during the school day for the28
purposes of encouraging civic education. If a local board of education denies priority29
access to a patriotic society, such local board shall provide reasons for the denial in writing30
to a requesting entity. Reserved."31
SECTION 1A.32
Code Section 20-2-55 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to per diem,33
insurance, and expenses of local board members, is amended by revising paragraph (1) of34
subsection (b) as follows:35
"(b)(1) A local board of education is authorized to provide group medical and dental36
insurance for its members who elect to participate. Such insurance may be provided37
through a group policy secured by the local school district, a group policy secured by38
several local school districts, a policy secured by an organization of local school boards,39
or in accordance with Code Section 45-18-5 providing for the inclusion of members of40
the local board of education and their spouses and dependents within any health insurance41
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plan or plans established under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45. It shall be the duty42
of the board to make the employer contributions required for the operation of such plan43
or plans. Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a board providing such44
insurance shall pay no greater percentage of the cost of that insurance than the percentage45
of the cost paid as an employer contribution by the state for the health insurance plan for46
state employees pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45. The remainder of such47
insurance costs, and all the costs of any coverage for family members, shall be paid as an48
employee contribution by the board member. It shall be the duty of the board to deduct49
from the salary or other remuneration of qualified members or otherwise collect such50
payment from the qualified members or dependents."51
SECTION 2.52
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-142.1, relating to coursework in the53
founding philosophy and principles of the United States of America, by revising54
subparagraph (c)(2)(G) as follows:55
"(G) The principles of economy in spending, constitutional limitations on government56
power to tax and spend, and prompt payment of public debt, and an interactive taxpayer57
receipt web-based application and a budget simulator web-based application;" 58
SECTION 3.59
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-145.1, relating to career60
education, as follows:61
"20-2-145.1.62
(a) The General Assembly finds that students will be better prepared to enter the workforce63
and succeed in their chosen careers by having the opportunity to participate in classroom64
instruction and training experiences focused on employability and career readiness skills,65
including, but not limited to, professionalism; problem solving and resiliency; effective66
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communication; time management and efficiency; and collaboration, teamwork, and67
leadership competencies in the workplace.68
(b)(1) The State Board of Education shall prescribe a minimum course of study in career69
readiness education for students in grades six through 12. Such minimum course of study70
shall be age appropriate and shall include, but not be limited to, instruction and training71
experiences focused on employability and career readiness skills, career exploration, and72
career oriented learning experiences. Instruction and training experiences focused on73
employability and career readiness skills shall include those skills described in74
subsection (a) of this Code section. Career oriented learning experiences shall include,75
but not be limited to, participation in work based learning programs such as internships,76
apprenticeships, cooperative education, or employability skill development. The State77
Board of Education shall ensure that career oriented learning experiences include78
rigorous industry credentialing, as defined in Code Section 20-2-326, if such rigorous79
industry credentialing has been created or endorsed by Georgia employers.80
(2) Subject to specific appropriations by the General Assembly, the Department of81
Education is directed to assemble and develop instructional resources and materials82
concerning employability and career readiness skills, career exploration, and career83
oriented learning experiences. The Department of Education shall make such84
instructional resources and materials available to public schools and local school systems85
in this state.86
(3) The minimum course of study to be prescribed by the State Board of Education87
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be ready for implementation not later88
than July 1, 2024."89
SECTION 4.90
Said chapter is further amended in Part 3, relating to educational programs, by revising Code91
Section 20-2-156, relating to program for limited-English-proficient students, as follows:92
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"20-2-156.93
(a) The State Board of Education shall create a program for limited-English-proficient94
students whose native language is not English, subject to appropriation by the General95
Assembly. The purpose of this program is to assist such students to develop proficiency96
in the English language, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, sufficient to97
perform effectively at the currently assigned grade level. The state board shall prescribe98
such rules and regulations regarding eligibility criteria and standards as may be needed to99
carry out the provisions of this Code section. The state board shall also prescribe rules and100
regulations regarding community outreach efforts by local school systems to ensure that101
limited-English-proficient students and their parents and guardians are provided102
information regarding the program. This program may also be referred to as the English103
for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program.104
(b) The State Board of Education shall establish standards for foreign language interpreters105
working with students in educational settings. Such standards shall include, but shall not106
be limited to:107
(1) Demonstrated proficiency in English and the target language in listening, speaking,108
and reading domains; and109
(2) Familiarity with legal concepts related to and service requirements of Part B of the110
federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the federal111
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as standards for the use of remote interpreter services,112
including, but not limited to, the conditions under which remote interpreter services may113
be used to provide high-quality interpreter services.114
(c) Each local school system shall provide:115
(1) Information concerning the availability of interpretation services at IEP team116
meetings;117
(2) An explanation of how parents can request an interpreter;118
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(3) Notice that a parent has the right to request that the interpreter serve no other role in119
the IEP meeting than as an interpreter, and that the district should make reasonable efforts120
to fulfill this request;121
(4) A point of contact to address any questions or complaints about interpretation122
services; and123
(5) For each IEP meeting, the following information on the recorded minutes of such124
meeting:125
(A) Whether a parent requested an interpreter, had previously requested interpretation126
services, or had otherwise indicated that an interpreter was necessary to ensure127
meaningful parental involvement in the IEP meeting;128
(B) The language for interpretation;129
(C) Whether a parent provided an interpreter of his her own choosing or a qualified130
in-person interpreter, a digital language service tool, or a language accessibility phone131
line was provided; and132
(D) Whether a parent requested that the interpreter serve no other role in the IEP133
meeting and, if so, whether the district granted that request.134
(d) Each local school system shall engage in community outreach efforts directed toward135
limited-English-proficient students and their parents and guardians. Such efforts shall136
comply with the rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Education pursuant137
to subsection (a) of this Code section."138
SECTION 5.139
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-1015, relating to instructional140
materials and content in digital or electronic format and funding, by adding new subsections141
to read as follows:142
"(c) Subject to specific appropriations by the General Assembly, starting July 1, 2025, the143
State Board of Education shall annually provide for free to local boards of education a144
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web-based application for a taxpayer receipt and budget simulator as provided for in Code145
Section 20-2-142.1, provided that:146
(1) The taxpayer receipt shall:147
(A) Allow a user to estimate the individual amount of major tax categories, including,148
but not limited to, income, sales, alcohol, tobacco, and motor vehicle fuel tax;149
(B) Estimate how the taxes an individual pays are allocated to each major expenditure150
category; and151
(C) Estimate the income and sales taxes paid by the individual based on their income152
and age; and153
(2) The budget simulator shall:154
(A) Produce an estimated state budget based on variables entered by the user; such155
variables shall include adjustments in major expenditure categories, adjustments in156
major tax revenue categories, implementation of various policy options, and the year157
of the budget estimate; and158
(B) Provide visual feedback on the effects of the user adjustments.159
(d) The Department of Education shall:160
(1) House the application provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section on its public161
website;162
(2) Work with the Office of Planning and Budget to obtain the proper budget information163
to be used in the application provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section; and164
(3) Coordinate with the Georgia Technology Authority and the Department of165
Administrative Services to implement the requirements of this Code section and to166
develop competitive bidding requirements in accordance with and as permitted by167
Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 50."168
SECTION 6.169
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.170
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