GA
Georgia House Bill HB192

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB192 Compare Versions

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2-House Bill 192 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
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2+House Bill 192
33 By: Representatives Gambill of the 15
44 th
55 , McDonald III of the 26
66 th
77 , Hong of the 103
88 rd
99 , Dubnik
1010 of the 29
1111 th
1212 , and Wade of the 9
1313 th
1414
1515 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1616 AN ACT
1717 To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
1818 1
1919 include specific references to programs included in the High-demand Career List published2
2020 by the State Workforce Development Board with respect to the State Board of Education's3
2121 minimum course of study in career education for students in grades six through 12; to4
2222 establish an updated list of the state models and industry required content standards for5
2323 focused programs of study to be developed by the Department of Education and approved6
2424 by the State Board of Education and to require that such programs be aligned with programs7
2525 included in such High-demand Career List; to extend a final report deadline and an automatic8
2626 repealer for a program that allows certain students participating in the Dual Enrollment9
2727 program to access HOPE grant funds for eligible CTAE courses; to require that the annual10
2828 competitive grant program established by the State Board of Education for renovation,11
2929 modernization, replacement, or purchase of equipment for the enhancement of certain12
3030 programs shall also include programs that are included in such High-demand Career List; to13
3131 provide for individual college and career plans for students in grades six through 12; to14
3232 repeal a competitive grant program; to repeal requirements for certain grants; to repeal15
3333 certain powers of the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia relative to16
3434 reporting a list of the courses that have been approved by the Board of Regents of the17
3535 University System of Georgia and the State Board of the Technical College System of18
3636 H. B. 192
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3838 Georgia to be transferrable between institutions of the university system and units of the
3939 19
4040 technical college system; to provide for rules and regulations; to make conforming changes;20
4141 to provide for definitions; to revise a short title; to amend Chapter 14 of Title 34 of the21
4242 Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the State Workforce Development Board,22
4343 so as to provide for evaluation methodology, reports, and purpose; to provide for a short title;23
4444 to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.24
4545 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:25
4646 SECTION 1.26
4747 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Top State for Talent Act."27
4848 SECTION 2.28
4949 Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended by29
5050 revising Code Section 20-2-145.1, relating to career education, as follows:30
5151 "20-2-145.1.31
5252 The State Board of Education shall prescribe a minimum course of study in career32
5353 education for students in grades six through 12. Such minimum course of study shall be33
5454 age appropriate and shall include, but not be limited to, career exploration and career34
5555 oriented learning experiences in programs included in the High-demand Career List
5656 35
5757 published by the State Workforce Development Board as provided in Code Section36
5858 34-14-3. Career oriented learning experiences shall include, but not be limited to,37
5959 participation in work based learning programs such as internships, apprenticeships,38
6060 cooperative education, or employability skill development. The State Board of Education39
6161 shall ensure that career oriented learning experiences include rigorous industry40
6262 credentialing, as defined in Code Section 20-2-326, if such rigorous industry credentialing41
6363 has been created or endorsed by Georgia employers."42
6464 H. B. 192
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6666 SECTION 3.
6767 43
6868 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-159.1, relating to focused44
6969 programs of study, as follows:45
7070 "20-2-159.1.46
7171 (a) The Department of Education shall develop, and the State Board of Education shall47
7272 approve, state models and industry required content standards, after consultation with48
7373 industries in Georgia and in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia49
7474 and the University System of Georgia to ensure alignment with postsecondary50
7575 opportunities, for the following focused programs of study, as defined in Code Section51
7676 20-2-326, including, but not limited to
7777 :52
7878 (1) Agriculture, food, and natural resources;53
7979 (2) Architecture and construction;54
8080 (3) Arts, audio-video technology, and communications;55
8181 (4) Business, management, and administration;56
8282 (5) Education and training;57
8383 (6) Finance;58
8484 (7) Health science;59
8585 (8) Hospitality and tourism;60
8686 (9) Human services;61
8787 (10) Information technology;62
8888 (11) Law, public safety, and security;63
8989 (12) Manufacturing;64
9090 (13) Government and public administration;65
9191 (14) Marketing, sales, and service;66
9292 (15) Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;67
9393 (16) Transportation, distribution, and logistics;68
9494 (17) Energy; and69
9595 H. B. 192
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9797 (18) Lifeguarding and aquatic safety.70
9898 (1) Advanced manufacturing;71
9999 (2) Construction;72
100100 (3) Supply chain and transportation;73
101101 (4) Arts, entertainment, and design;74
102102 (5) Hospitality, events, and tourism;75
103103 (6) Financial services;76
104104 (7) Education;77
105105 (8) Healthcare and human services;78
106106 (9) Public service and safety;79
107107 (10) Agriculture;80
108108 (11) Energy and natural resources;81
109109 (12) Digital technology;82
110110 (13) Marketing and sales; and83
111111 (14) Management and entrepreneurship.84
112112 Such focused programs of study may be combined around these and other related clusters.85
113113 (b) The focused programs of study established pursuant to this Code section may include86
114114 or be revised to include industry certifications or industry credentialing, as defined in Code87
115115 Section 20-2-326, pertinent to any such focused program of study. The After consultation88
116116 with employers and industries in Georgia, the Department of Education and the Technical89
117117 College System of Georgia shall jointly establish a list of industry credentials that are90
118118 required by Georgia employers, in alignment with programs included in the High-demand91
119119 Career List published by the State Workforce Development Board as provided in Code92
120120 Section 34-14-3. Such list shall be made available on the Department of Education and the93
121121 Technical College System of Georgia public websites. Such list shall be annually reviewed94
122122 and updated as appropriate and made available prior to the beginning of the annual95
123123 H. B. 192
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125125 competitive grant application process provided for in subsection (j) of Code Section
126126 96
127127 20-2-260."97
128128 SECTION 4.98
129129 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-2-161.3, relating to the "Dual Enrollment99
130130 Act," purpose, dual credit courses, eligibility for participation, eligibility for secondary100
131131 course credits, eligibility to meet high school graduation requirements, eligibility for award101
132132 of high school diploma, funding, limitations on total hours, exceptions, and eligibility for102
133133 payment, by revising subsection (d) as follows:103
134134 "(d) In consultation with and subject to approval by the commission, the department shall104
135135 develop appropriate forms and counseling guidelines for the program and shall make such105
136136 forms and guidelines available to eligible high schools and eligible postsecondary106
137137 institutions. No later than the first day of February each year, each eligible high school107
138138 shall provide general information about the program, including such forms, to all its108
139139 eligible high school students. An eligible high school shall also provide counseling109
140140 services to such students and their parents or guardians before the students enroll in the110
141141 program. Prior to participating in the program, the student and the student's parent or111
142142 guardian shall sign the form provided by the eligible high school or by an eligible112
143143 postsecondary institution stating that they have received the counseling specified in this113
144144 subsection and that they understand the responsibilities that shall be assumed in114
145145 participating in the program. Program information and materials shall be provided to each115
146146 eighth grade public school student at the time the student is developing his or her individual116
147147 graduation
148148 college and career plan as required by Code Section 20-2-327."117
149149 SECTION 5.118
150150 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-161.4, relating to accessing119
151151 HOPE scholarship funds for dual enrolled students and reports, as follows:120
152152 H. B. 192
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154154 "20-2-161.4.
155155 121
156156 (a)(1) Beginning July 1, 2023, each student participating in the Dual Enrollment program122
157157 provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3 who is eligible for a HOPE grant pursuant to123
158158 Code Section 20-3-519.5 shall be allowed to access HOPE grant funds for eligible CTAE124
159159 courses, as defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, irrespective of whether such student has125
160160 reached any maximum credit hour cap provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3.126
161161 (2) For three years beginning on July 1, 2023, the Georgia Student Finance Commission,127
162162 in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia, shall collect and report128
163163 data on:129
164164 (A) Student enrollment in and completion of at least one eligible CTAE course, as130
165165 defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, as part of the Dual Enrollment program provided131
166166 for in Code Section 20-2-161.3;132
167167 (B) HOPE grant funding and Dual Enrollment program funding, including, but not133
168168 limited to, the number of students who received such funding and the maximum, mean,134
169169 median, and mode amounts of such funding received by students;135
170170 (C) Postsecondary credits earned by students who received such funding;136
171171 (D) The number of students who enrolled in a postsecondary degree program after137
172172 completing a program of study that includes at least one eligible CTAE course, as138
173173 defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, as part of the Dual Enrollment program provided139
174174 for in Code Section 20-2-161.3; and140
175175 (E) The number of students employed in a high-demand field after completing a141
176176 focused program of study identified by the State Board of the Technical College System142
177177 of Georgia as part of the High Demand Apprenticeship Program provided for in Code143
178178 Section 20-4-152.144
179179 No later than January 1 each year, the Georgia Student Finance Commission shall provide145
180180 an interim report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor
181181 President of the Senate, the146
182182 Speaker of the House of Representatives, the director of the Office of Planning and147
183183 H. B. 192
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185185 Budget, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Education, the Senate
186186 148
187187 Education and Youth Committee, the House Committee on Higher Education, and the149
188188 Senate Higher Education Committee. A final report shall be provided to the same no150
189189 later than December 1, 2027
190190 2028.151
191191 (3) The Georgia Student Finance Commission, in consultation with the State Board of152
192192 Education, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Office153
193193 of Workforce Development, shall establish rules and regulations to implement the154
194194 provisions of this subsection.155
195195 (b) This Code section shall stand repealed on June 30, 2027 2028."156
196196 SECTION 6.157
197197 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-2-260, relating to capital outlay funds158
198198 generally under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by revising subsection (j) as follows:159
199199 "(j) The State Board of Education shall establish an annual competitive grant program for160
200200 renovation, modernization, replacement, or purchase of equipment for the enhancement of161
201201 programs that are currently certified or in the process of achieving industry certification in162
202202 educational facilities that align with industry credentials on the list developed pursuant to163
203203 Code Section 20-2-159.1 or have been (1) linked to an occupation that addresses a critical164
204204 local or state-wide workforce need, (2) linked to an occupation that is identified as part of165
205205 the skilled trade industry, or (3) linked to an occupation that is identified in an emerging166
206206 field or technology aligned with the priority areas identified by the State Workforce167
207207 Development Board and included in the High-demand Career List published by the State168
208208 Workforce Development Board as provided in Code Section 34-14-3. The State Board of169
209209 Education in awarding grants shall give priority to local programs that demonstrate local170
210210 industry support and postsecondary partnerships that are linked to the verified industry171
211211 need."172
212212 H. B. 192
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214214 SECTION 7.
215215 173
216216 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-325, relating to the short title174
217217 relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act," as175
218218 follows:176
219219 "20-2-325.177
220220 This part shall be known and may be cited as the 'Building Resourceful Individuals to
221221 178
222222 Develop Georgia's Economy Act.' 'Top State for Talent Act.'"179
223223 SECTION 8.180
224224 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-326, relating to definitions181
225225 relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act," as182
226226 follows:183
227227 "20-2-326.184
228228 For purposes of this part, the term:185
229229 (1) 'Articulation' means agreement between a high school and a postsecondary institution186
230230 regarding the awarding of both secondary and postsecondary credit for a dual enrollment187
231231 course.188
232232 (2) 'Choice technical high school' means a high school, other than the high school to189
233233 which a student is assigned by virtue of his or her residence and attendance zone, which190
234234 is designed to prepare a high school student for postsecondary education and for191
235235 employment in a career field. A choice technical high school may be operated by a local192
236236 school system or a technical school or college. A choice technical high school may also193
237237 be operated as a charter school under a governance board composed of parents,194
238238 employers, and representatives from the local board of education.195
239239 (3) 'Chronically low-performing high school' means a public high school in this state that196
240240 has a graduation rate of less than 60 percent for three consecutive years, as determined197
241241 in accordance with methodology established by the National Governors Association's198
242242 H. B. 192
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244244 Compact on High School Graduation Data, or that has received an unacceptable rating199
245245 for three consecutive years, as defined by the Office of Student Achievement.200
246246 (4)(2) 'College and career academy' means a specialized school established as a charter201
247247 school or pursuant to a contract for a strategic waivers school system or charter system,202
248248 which formalizes a partnership that demonstrates a collaboration between business,203
249249 industry, and community stakeholders to advance work force development between one204
250250 or more local boards of education, a private individual, a private organization, or a state205
251251 or local public entity in cooperation with one or more postsecondary institutions.206
252252 (5)(3) 'Focused program of study' means a program of study with a rigorous academic207
253253 core combined with a focus in mathematics and science; a focus in humanities, fine arts,208
254254 and foreign language; or a coherent sequence of career pathway courses that is aligned209
255255 with graduation requirements established by the State Board of Education and content210
256256 standards established pursuant to Part 2 of this article that prepares a student for211
257257 postsecondary education or immediate employment after high school graduation.212
258258 (4) 'GAfutures.org' means the public website managed by the Georgia Student Finance213
259259 Commission to provide students with tools and information for higher education planning214
260260 and financial aid.215
261261 (5) 'Georgia MATCH' means the college admissions program for Georgia high school216
262262 students that is located at GAfutures.org.217
263263 (6) 'Individual college and career plan' 'Graduation plan' means a student specific plan218
264264 developed in accordance with subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327 detailing the219
265265 courses necessary for a high school student to graduate from high school and to220
266266 successfully transition to postsecondary education and the work force.221
267267 (7) 'Industry certification' means a process of program evaluation that ensures that222
268268 individual programs meet state, national, or international industry standards in the areas223
269269 of curriculum, teacher qualification, lab specifications, equipment, and industry224
270270 involvement.225
271271 H. B. 192
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273273 (7.1)(8) 'Industry credentialing' means a process through which students are assessed by226
274274 an independent third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge,227
275275 skills, and competencies, resulting in the award of individual certification or state228
276276 licensure or an occupational competency that is state, nationally, or internationally229
277277 recognized.230
278278 (8)(9) 'Public college or university' means a two-year or four-year college, university, or231
279279 other institution under the auspices of the Board of Regents of the University System of232
280280 Georgia.233
281281 (9) 'Small learning community' means an autonomous or semiautonomous small learning234
282282 environment within a large high school which is made up of a subset of students and235
283283 teachers for a two-year, three-year, or four-year period. The goal of a small learning236
284284 community is to achieve greater personalization of learning with each community led by237
285285 a principal or instructional leader. A small learning community blends academic studies238
286286 around a broad career or academic theme where teachers have common planning time to239
287287 connect teacher assignments and assessments to college and career readiness standards. 240
288288 Students voluntarily apply for enrollment in a small learning community but must be241
289289 accepted, and such enrollment must be approved by the student's parent or guardian. A242
290290 small learning community also includes a college and career academy organized around243
291291 a specific career theme which integrates academic and career instruction, provides work244
292292 based learning opportunities, and prepares students for postsecondary education and245
293293 employment, with support through partnerships with local employers, community246
294294 organizations, and postsecondary institutions.247
295295 (10) 'Teacher adviser system' means a system where an individual professional educator248
296296 in the school who assists a small group of students and their parents or guardians249
297297 throughout the students' high school careers to set postsecondary goals and help them250
298298 prepare programs of study, utilizing assessments and other data to track academic251
299299 H. B. 192
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301301 progress on a regular basis; communicates frequently with parents or guardians; and
302302 252
303303 provides advisement, support, and encouragement as needed.253
304304 (11) 'Technical school or college' means a college, institution, or other branch
305305 unit of the254
306306 Technical College System of Georgia."255
307307 SECTION 9.256
308308 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-2-327, relating to recognition of advanced257
309309 proficiency/honors courses and counseling and development of individual graduation plans258
310310 relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act," by259
311311 revising subsection (c) as follows:260
312312 "(c)(1) Students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades six through 12 shall be provided261
313313 counseling, advisement, career awareness, career interest and career demand inventories,262
314314 and information to assist them in evaluating their academic skills, career oriented263
315315 aptitudes, and career interests. Before the end of the second semester of the eighth grade,264
316316 students shall develop an individual graduation college and career plan based on their265
317317 academic skills, career oriented aptitudes, and career interests in consultation with their266
318318 parents, guardians, or individuals appointed by the parents or guardians to serve as their267
319319 designee. A student's individual graduation college and career plan shall be taken into268
320320 consideration when scheduling a student's courses in ninth grade. High school students269
321321 shall be provided guidance, advisement, and counseling annually that will enable them270
322322 to successfully update and implement their individual graduation college and career271
323323 plans, preparing them for a seamless transition to postsecondary study, further training,272
324324 or employment, including information regarding occupations, degrees, industry273
325325 credentials, certifications, and technical skills; work-ready skills in demand by Georgia274
326326 employers through the department's career pipeline website; and other career related275
327327 inventories made available through the Technical College System of Georgia or the276
328328 Office of Student Achievement. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, such277
329329 H. B. 192
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331331 guidance, advisement, and counseling for high school students shall include providing278
332332 career oriented aptitude and career interest guidance information. An individual279
333333 graduation college and career plan shall:280
334334 (A) Include rigorous academic core subjects and focused coursework in mathematics281
335335 and science or in humanities, fine arts, and foreign language or sequenced career282
336336 pathway coursework;283
337337 (B) Incorporate provisions of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP),284
338338 where applicable;285
339339 (C) Align educational and broad career goals and a student's course of study;286
340340 (D) Be based on the student's selected academic and career focus area as approved by287
341341 the student's parent or guardian;288
342342 (E) Include experience based, career oriented learning experiences which may include,289
343343 but not be limited to, participation in work based learning programs such as internships,290
344344 apprenticeships, cooperative education, and employability skill development;291
345345 (F) Include any applicable industry credentialing that pertains to the student's focused292
346346 program of study;293
347347 (G) Include opportunities for postsecondary studies through articulation, dual294
348348 enrollment, and joint enrollment;295
349349 (H) Be flexible to allow change in the course of study but be sufficiently structured to296
350350 meet graduation requirements and qualify the student for admission to postsecondary297
351351 education; and298
352352 (I) Be approved by the student and the student's parent or guardian with guidance from299
353353 the student's school counselor or teacher adviser;300
354354 (J) Include, beginning in the ninth grade, the creation and utilization of a GAfutures301
355355 account at GAfutures.org; and302
356356 (K) Include the utilization of Georgia MATCH.303
357357 H. B. 192
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359359 (2) An individual graduation college and career plan shall be reviewed annually, and304
360360 revised, if appropriate, upon approval by the student and the student's parent or guardian305
361361 with guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser. An individual306
362362 graduation college and career plan may be changed at any time throughout a student's307
363363 high school career upon approval by the student and the student's parent or guardian with308
364364 guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser.309
365365 (3) The Georgia Student Finance Commission and the Department of Education shall310
366366 annually collect and report on information to verify compliance with this Code section."311
367367 SECTION 10.312
368368 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-327.1, relating to industry313
369369 credentialing for career, technical, and agricultural education programs and reporting relevant314
370370 to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act," as follows:315
371371 "20-2-327.1.316
372372 (a) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Technical College System of317
373373 Georgia, shall facilitate and encourage industry credentialing for career, technical, and318
374374 agricultural education programs utilizing existing career pathways and individual319
375375 graduation college and career plans. Further, local school systems are authorized and320
376376 encouraged to align competency based career education, along with enhanced work based321
377377 learning experiences, as provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.2, to facilitate and make322
378378 available to students opportunities to receive industry credentialing in critical and emerging323
379379 occupations in Georgia programs included in the High-demand Career List published by324
380380 the State Workforce Development Board as provided in Code Section 34-14-3.325
381381 (b) No later than December 31, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Department of326
382382 Education shall produce a return-on-investment report identifying the industry327
383383 credentialing attainment levels for the previous calendar year to the State Workforce328
384384 Development Board and the Office of Planning and Budget as related to grant funds329
385385 H. B. 192
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387387 provided for in subsection (j) Code Section 20-2-260. Such report shall include the current330
388388 and projected regional business and industry needs for the purpose of establishing annual331
389389 goals and strategies to increase attainment rates of industry credentialing, including the332
390390 development of additional industry credentials to enhance current industry certified333
391391 programs."334
392392 SECTION 11.335
393393 Said title is further amended by repealing and reserving Code Section 20-2-328, relating to336
394394 a competitive grant program relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop337
395395 Georgia's Economy Act."338
396396 SECTION 12.339
397397 Said title is further amended by repealing Code Section 20-2-329, relating to requirements340
398398 for high schools that receive reform grants as chronically low-performing high schools341
399399 relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act," and342
400400 enacting a new Code section to read as follows:343
401401 "20-2-329.344
402402 The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out345
403403 the provisions of this part."346
404404 SECTION 13.347
405405 Said title is further amended by repealing Code Section 20-2-329.1, relating to rules and348
406406 regulations relevant to the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy349
407407 Act."350
408408 H. B. 192
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410410 SECTION 14.
411411 351
412412 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-2-2065, relating to waiver of provisions of352
413413 this title, requirements for operating, and control and management relevant to the "Charter353
414414 Schools Act of 1998," by revising paragraph (14) of subsection (b) as follows:354
415415 "(14) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327 relating to355
416416 individual graduation
417417 college and career plans; and"356
418418 SECTION 15.357
419419 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-4-11, relating to powers of the State Board358
420420 of the Technical College System of Georgia, by inserting "and" at the end of subparagraph359
421421 (A) of paragraph (3), replacing the semicolon at the end of subparagraph (B) of such360
422422 paragraph with a period, and repealing subparagraph (C) of such paragraph.361
423423 SECTION 16.362
424424 Said title is further amended by revising Code Section 20-4-20, relating to authority of Board363
425425 of Regents of University System of Georgia unabridged, agreements with the State Board of364
426426 the Technical College System of Georgia, and awarding transferable postsecondary course365
427427 credits, as follows:366
428428 "20-4-20.367
429429 (a) Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the Board of Regents of the368
430430 University System of Georgia to establish or operate colleges or of local boards of369
431431 education to operate schools.370
432432 (b) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) of this Code section to the contrary:371
433433 (1) The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, the State Board of372
434434 Education, and local boards of education are encouraged and expected:373
435435 (A) To work continuously with the State Board of the Technical College System of374
436436 Georgia to develop and implement policies, programs, and practices that promote and375
437437 H. B. 192
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439439 advance the objectives of serving student needs, avoiding duplication of mission, using
440440 376
441441 state resources efficiently, and expanding opportunities for postsecondary degree377
442442 attainment in Georgia; and378
443443 (B) Consistent with the objectives stated in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, to enter379
444444 into and amend existing agreements with the Technical College System of Georgia for380
445445 awarding postsecondary course credits that are transferable between units
446446 institutions381
447447 of the university system, and units of the technical college system, and the State Board382
448448 of Education; and383
449449 (2) The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the State Board of384
450450 the Technical College System of Georgia, and the State Board of Education are385
451451 encouraged and expected to promote and allow units institutions of the university system386
452452 and units of the technical college system to enter into and amend existing agreements:387
453453 (A) For awarding postsecondary course credits that are transferable between such units388
454454 institutions of the university system, and units of the technical college system, and the389
455455 State Board of Education; and390
456456 (B) That are consistent with the objectives stated in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1)391
457457 of this subsection."392
458458 SECTION 17.393
459459 Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-14-26, relating to duties relevant to the394
460460 Office of Student Achievement, by inserting "and" at the end of paragraph (3) of subsection395
461461 (a), replacing "; and" at the end of paragraph (4) of such subsection with a period, and by396
462462 repealing paragraph (5) of such subsection.397
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465465 SECTION 18.
466466 398
467467 Chapter 14 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the State399
468468 Workforce Development Board, is amended by revising Code Section 34-14-3, relating to400
469469 High-demand Career List, as follows:401
470470 "34-14-3.402
471471 (a) The State Workforce Development Board shall develop and approve a High-demand403
472472 Career List that shall identify those careers most critical to the state's current and future404
473473 workforce needs. The State Workforce Development Board, in consultation with the
474474 405
475475 Office of Workforce Development, shall assess current labor market information and other406
476476 employment data sources and determine which careers merit inclusion on such list,407
477477 regionally or state wide, and shall implement a data-driven process to assess present and408
478478 future growing and declining industries, occupations, skills, and credentials. As directed409
479479 by the Governor, the State Workforce Development Board shall coordinate and collaborate410
480480 with the Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education, the Technical411
481481 College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia, and the Georgia Student412
482482 Finance Commission to develop and implement a data-driven methodology to determine413
483483 which careers merit inclusion on High-demand Career List, regionally or state wide. The414
484484 High-demand Career List shall:415
485485 (1) Include the skills, certificates, licenses, diplomas, degrees, or other credentials of416
486486 value required by employers for the high-demand careers included on the list; and417
487487 (2) Be published approved annually on or before December 31 on by the State418
488488 Workforce Development Board's public website. Board;419
489489 (3) Be submitted annually on or before December 31 by the State Workforce420
490490 Development Board to the Governor; the President of the Senate; the Speaker of the421
491491 House of Representatives; the respective chairs of the House Committee on Higher422
492492 Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House Committee on423
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495495 Education, the Senate Higher Education Committee; and the Office of Planning and424
496496 Budget; and425
497497 (4) Be published annually on or before December 31 on the public websites of the State426
498498 Workforce Development Board, the Office of Student Achievement, the Department of427
499499 Education, the Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia,428
500500 and the Georgia Student Finance Commission.429
501501 (b) All state agencies and political subdivisions of the state, including local school430
502502 systems, shall utilize the High-demand Career List to inform their use of federal and state431
503503 funding for secondary, postsecondary, and adult education programs that lead to432
504504 certificates, licenses, diplomas, degrees, or other credentials of value in careers on the list433
505505 to ensure alignment with such list and effective use of funding by such entities."434
506506 SECTION 19.435
507507 Said chapter is further amended by adding new Code sections to read as follows:436
508508 "34-14-4.437
509509 (a) The State Workforce Development Board shall be responsible for oversight of a return438
510510 on investment analysis to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of secondary and439
511511 postsecondary programs aligned with the priority areas identified by the State Workforce440
512512 Development Board and included on the High-demand Career List published by the State441
513513 Workforce Development Board as provided in Code Section 34-14-3.442
514514 (b) As directed by the Governor, the State Workforce Development Board shall coordinate443
515515 and collaborate with the Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education, the444
516516 Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia, and the Georgia445
517517 Student Finance Commission to develop the return on investment methodology utilizing446
518518 an analysis of data sources that include, but are not limited to, existing federal and state447
519519 resources, longitudinal outcome tracking of student information, enrollment and program448
520520 outcomes, and labor market analysis.449
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523523 (c) The evaluation and report required by this Code section shall include a comprehensive450
524524 review of student participation and outcomes, program alignment with labor market needs,451
525525 and recommendations for programmatic adjustments to better meet the needs of Georgia's452
526526 businesses, industries, and workforce and shall address, at a minimum, the following:453
527527 (1) The percentage of program graduates employed including retention rates and wage454
528528 growth over time;455
529529 (2) Comparison of graduates' average wages to state, national, and industry benchmarks,456
530530 with wage growth assessed at two-year, five-year, and ten-year intervals post-completion;457
531531 (3) The extent to which skills, certificates, licenses, diplomas, degrees, or other458
532532 credentials offered by the State Board of Education, the University System of Georgia,459
533533 and the Technical College System of Georgia align with the High-demand Career List460
534534 published by the State Workforce Development Board as provided in Code Section461
535535 34-14-3;462
536536 (4) The percentage of students, at both the secondary and post-secondary levels, that are463
537537 obtaining any credentials identified in paragraph (3) of this subsection; and464
538538 (5) Transparent information to stakeholders regarding program availability and465
539539 outcomes.466
540540 (d) The evaluation and report required by this Code section shall be:467
541541 (1) Approved by the State Workforce Development Board on or before December 1 of468
542542 each even-numbered year;469
543543 (2) Submitted by the State Workforce Development Board to the Governor; the President470
544544 of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the respective chairs of the471
545545 House Committee on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House472
546546 Committee on Higher Education, and the Senate Higher Education Committee; and the473
547547 Office of Planning and Budget; and474
548548 (3) Published on the public websites of the State Workforce Development Board, the475
549549 Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education, the University System of476
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552552 Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia Student Finance477
553553 Commission on or before December 31 of each even-numbered year.478
554554 (e) All state agencies and political subdivisions of the state, including postsecondary479
555555 education institutions and local school systems, shall cooperate in collecting and sharing480
556556 all data and other pertinent information necessary for the implementation of the evaluation481
557557 and preparation of the report required by this Code section, subject to applicable privacy482
558558 protections, within a predetermined time frame as set by the State Workforce Development483
559559 Board. Such agencies and political subdivisions shall use the findings of the report to484
560560 recommend continuation, modification, or discontinuation of programs to better align with485
561561 workforce needs.486
562562 (f) The purpose of this Code section is to ensure the effective use of state resources,487
563563 prepare Georgians for high-demand career pathways, and support the state's economic488
564564 development by fostering a workforce aligned with employer needs.489
565565 34-14-5.490
566566 (a) The State Workforce Development Board shall develop and approve a report detailing491
567567 the alignment of policies, programs, and practices of the State Board of Education, the492
568568 Department of Education, the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System493
569569 of Georgia, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission that promotes and advances the494
570570 objectives of serving student needs, avoiding duplication of mission, using state resources495
571571 efficiently, and expanding opportunities for postsecondary credential attainment.496
572572 (b) As directed by the Governor, the State Workforce Development Board shall coordinate497
573573 and collaborate with the Department of Education, the University System of Georgia, and498
574574 the Technical College System of Georgia to create the report required by this Code section499
575575 that shall include the following:500
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578578 (1) A list of the courses articulated from the State Board of Education to the University501
579579 System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and HOPE-eligible private502
580580 institutions;503
581581 (2) A list of the courses approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of504
582582 Georgia and the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to be505
583583 transferrable between institutions of the university system and units of the technical506
584584 college system;507
585585 (3) Of the courses listed as provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection, identification508
586586 of the university system baccalaureate degree program or programs for which each such509
587587 course has been approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia510
588588 to be a degree prerequisite;511
589589 (4) Of the courses listed as provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection, identification512
590590 of the technical college system degree program or programs for which each such course513
591591 has been approved by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to be514
592592 degree prerequisites;515
593593 (5) A summary of efforts undertaken by the Technical College System of Georgia in516
594594 collaboration with the University System of Georgia to reduce barriers to degree517
595595 completion by students who have earned course credits in the University System of518
596596 Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, or both;519
597597 (6) A list of the courses approved by HOPE-eligible private institutions and the State520
598598 Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to be transferrable between units of521
599599 the HOPE-eligible private institution and the technical college system;522
600600 (7) A list of the courses approved by HOPE-eligible private institutions and the Board523
601601 of Regents of the University System of Georgia to be transferrable between units of the524
602602 HOPE-eligible private institution and the university system;525
603603 (8) A summary of efforts undertaken to develop plans and procedures for reverse526
604604 transfers. As used in this paragraph, the term 'reverse transfer' means the process of527
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607607 transferring the credits a student has earned from a four-year institution to any unit of the528
608608 Technical College System of Georgia from which a student has transferred so that such529
609609 credits will be available to such student for purposes of his or her enrollment in or530
610610 completion of programs offered by the Technical College System of Georgia;531
611611 (9) A summary of the efforts undertaken on behalf of the Technical College System of532
612612 Georgia, the University System of Georgia, and the State Board of Education to comply533
613613 with the requirements of subsection (b) of Code Section 20-4-20;534
614614 (10) A summary of efforts undertaken to align articulated, transferrable courses and535
615615 degree completion to the High-demand Career List published by the State Workforce536
616616 Development Board as provided in Code Section 34-14-3, including the total number of537
617617 articulation agreements aligned to the state's high-demand list for the State Board of538
618618 Education, the University System of Georgia, and the Technical College System of539
619619 Georgia;540
620620 (11) The number of students enrolled in programs of study provided for in subsection (a)541
621621 of Code Section 20-2-159.1 receiving articulated credit with the University System of542
622622 Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia and which credits those students543
623623 receive; and544
624624 (12) Of the articulation agreements listed as provided for in paragraph (1) of this545
625625 subsection, identification of the number of articulated credits awarded, which institutions546
626626 awarded which credits, and the local school system or public school represented by the547
627627 students who earned such credits.548
628628 (c) The report required by this Code section shall be:549
629629 (1) Approved by the State Workforce Development Board on or before December 1 of550
630630 each even-numbered year;551
631631 (2) Submitted by the State Workforce Development Board to the Governor; the President552
632632 of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the respective chairs of the553
633633 House Committee on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House554
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636636 Committee on Higher Education, and the Senate Higher Education Committee; and the555
637637 Office of Planning and Budget; and556
638638 (3) Published on the public websites of the State Workforce Development Board, the557
639639 Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education, the University System of558
640640 Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia Student Finance559
641641 Commission on or before December 31 of each even-numbered year.560
642642 (d) All relevant state agencies and educational institutions included in this process shall561
643643 cooperate in collecting and sharing data necessary for the preparation of the report required562
644644 by this Code section, subject to applicable privacy protections, within a predetermined time563
645645 frame as set by the State Workforce Development Board."564
646646 SECTION 20.565
647647 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.566
648648 H. B. 192
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