Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB335 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 49 2115
2	2	House Bill 335
3	3	By: Representatives Crawford of the 89
4	4	th
5	5	, Cox of the 28
6	6	th
7	7	, McClain of the 109
8	8	th
9	9	, Willis of the
10	10	55
11	11	th
12	12	, and Douglas of the 78
13	13	th
14	14
15	15	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
16	16	AN ACT
17	17	To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the
18	18	1
19	19	"Quality Basic Education Act," so as to address mental health risks for student athletes; to2
20	20	provide for guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and educate public school and3
21	21	participating private school student athletes, their parents or guardians, school personnel, and4
22	22	coaches about mental health risks for student athletes and raising awareness of mental health5
23	23	resources available to student athletes; to provide for definitions; to require annual review6
24	24	by coaches; to provide for limited liability; to encourage additional implementation; to7
25	25	provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8
26	26	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9
27	27	SECTION 1.10
28	28	Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Quality11
29	29	Basic Education Act," is amended in Part 15, relating to miscellaneous provisions, by adding12
30	30	a new Code section to read as follows:13
31	31	"20-2-324.8.
32	32	14
33	33	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:15
34	34	H. B. 335
35	35	- 1 - 25 LC 49 2115
36	36	(1) 'Athletic association' means any association of schools or any other similar16
37	37	organization which acts as an organizing, sanctioning, scheduling, or rule-making body17
38	38	for interscholastic athletic activities in which public schools and participating private18
39	39	schools in this state participate.19
40	40	(2) 'Healthcare provider' means a licensed physician, another licensed individual under20
41	41	the supervision of a licensed physician, licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist,21
42	42	licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, clinical nurse specialist22
43	43	in psychiatric/mental health, or other licensed mental or behavioral health clinician or23
44	44	specialist who has received training on screening school age children for mental health24
45	45	risks.25
46	46	(3) 'Interscholastic athletic activity' means interscholastic athletics and practices and26
47	47	scrimmages related to interscholastic athletics.27
48	48	(4) 'Participating private school' means a private school in this state whose students or28
49	49	teams compete against students or teams from a public school or local school system in29
50	50	this state.30
51	51	(5) 'Student athlete' means a public school or participating private school student in31
52	52	grades six through 12 participating in or desiring to participate in an interscholastic32
53	53	athletic activity.33
54	54	(b) Each athletic association shall, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral34
55	55	Health and Developmental Disabilities, develop and post on its public website guidelines35
56	56	and other relevant materials, including, but not limited to, approved videos or links thereto,36
57	57	to inform and educate student athletes, their parents or guardians, school personnel, and37
58	58	coaches about mental health risks for student athletes and raising awareness of mental38
59	59	health resources available to student athletes. In developing such guidelines and materials,39
60	60	an athletic association may utilize educational videos available at no cost to the state for40
61	61	the purpose of educating school personnel and coaches.41
62	62	H. B. 335
63	63	- 2 - 25 LC 49 2115
64	64	(c) Each public school and participating private school which includes one or more grades42
65	65	from grades six through 12 shall provide information to each student athlete's parent or43
66	66	guardian at least once each school year regarding mental health risks for student athletes44
67	67	and to raise awareness of mental health resources available to student athletes.45
68	68	(d)(1) Once each school year, each coach of an interscholastic athletic activity shall46
69	69	review the guidelines and other relevant materials, including, but not limited to, videos,47
70	70	approved by each athletic association of which the coach's school is a member pursuant48
71	71	to subsection (b) of this Code section.49
72	72	(2) A coach shall not be eligible to coach an interscholastic athletic activity until he or50
73	73	she completes the requirements contained in this subsection.51
74	74	(e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to create any liability for, or create a52
75	75	cause of action against, a local board of education or other governing body of a public53
76	76	school or participating private school, or an athletic association, or the officers, employees,54
77	77	or volunteers of any such entities for any act or omission related to the removal or55
78	78	nonremoval of a student athlete participating in an interscholastic athletic activity in56
79	79	conjunction with an actual or perceived risk to the mental health of such student athlete or57
80	80	another student athlete; provided, however, that this subsection shall not include healthcare58
81	81	providers unless they are acting in a volunteer capacity.59
82	82	(f) The sponsors of youth athletic activities, as defined in subsection (a) of Code Section60
83	83	20-2-324.1, are encouraged to implement the provisions of this Code section."61
84	84	SECTION 2.62
85	85	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.63
86	86	H. B. 335
87	87	- 3 -