Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB48 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 56 0224
2	2	House Bill 48
3	3	By: Representatives Davis of the 87
4	4	th
5	5	, Scott of the 76
6	6	th
7	7	, and Schofield of the 63
8	8	rd
9	9
10	10	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	11	AN ACT
12	12	To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the
13	13	1
14	14	"Quality Basic Education Act," so as to establish the Refugee and International Students2
15	15	Equalization (RISE) program to provide for funding and wraparound services for eligible3
16	16	students; to provide for the definition of "international student"; to establish a program4
17	17	weight and teacher-student ratio for the RISE program in the QBE funding formula; to5
18	18	provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal6
19	19	conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7
20	20	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8
21	21	SECTION 1.9
22	22	Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Quality10
23	23	Basic Education Act," is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:11
24	24	"20-2-156.1.
25	25	12
26	26	(a)(1) As used in this Code section, the term 'international student' means any school-age13
27	27	child, regardless of his or her citizenship or immigration status, who:14
28	28	(A) Was born outside of the United States;15
29	29	(B) Currently resides in this state;16
30	30	H. B. 48
31	31	- 1 - 25 LC 56 0224
32	32	(C) Is currently enrolled in a public school in this state; and17
33	33	(D) Within the previous 36 months, enrolled for the first time in a public school in this18
34	34	state.19
35	35	(2) Such term shall include, but shall not be limited to, unaccompanied alien, asylum20
36	36	seeking, and refugee children, as defined under federal immigration law, who meet the21
37	37	criteria set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1) of this subsection.22
38	38	(b) The State Board of Education shall create a program for international students, subject23
39	39	to appropriation by the General Assembly. The purpose of such program is to provide24
40	40	wraparound services, including education, housing, medical, counseling, nutrition, and25
41	41	transportation services, directly to international students to support such students'26
42	42	elementary and secondary education. The State Board of Education shall prescribe such27
43	43	rules and regulations regarding eligibility criteria and standards as may be needed to carry28
44	44	out the provisions of this Code section. This program may also be referred to as the29
45	45	Refugee and International Students Equalization (RISE) program."30
46	46	SECTION 2.31
47	47	Said article is further amended in Code Section 20-2-161, relating to the Quality Basic32
48	48	Education Formula, by revising subsection (b) as follows:33
49	49	"(b) As the cost of instructional programs varies depending upon the teacher-student ratios34
50	50	and specific services typically required to address the special needs of students enrolled,35
51	51	state authorized instructional programs shall have the following program weights and36
52	52	teacher-student ratios:37
53	53	(1) Kindergarten program......................................38
54	54	39
55	55	40
56	56	41
57	57	1.6901
58	58	weight and
59	59	1 to 15
60	60	ratio
61	61	H. B. 48
62	62	- 2 - 25 LC 56 0224
63	63	(2) Kindergarten early intervention program.......................
64	64	42
65	65	43
66	66	44
67	67	45
68	68	2.0951
69	69	weight and
70	70	1 to 11
71	71	ratio
72	72	(3) Primary grades program (1-3)................................
73	73	46
74	74	47
75	75	48
76	76	49
77	77	1.3029
78	78	weight and
79	79	1 to 17
80	80	ratio
81	81	(4) Primary grades early intervention program (1-3).................
82	82	50
83	83	51
84	84	52
85	85	53
86	86	1.8388
87	87	weight and
88	88	1 to 11
89	89	ratio
90	90	(5) Upper elementary grades program (4-5)........................
91	91	54
92	92	55
93	93	56
94	94	57
95	95	1.0417
96	96	weight and
97	97	1 to 23
98	98	ratio
99	99	(6) Upper elementary grades early intervention program (4-5) . ........
100	100	58
101	101	59
102	102	60
103	103	61
104	104	1.8340
105	105	weight and
106	106	1 to 11
107	107	ratio
108	108	(7) Middle school program (6-8).................................
109	109	62
110	110	63
111	111	64
112	112	65
113	113	1.1439
114	114	weight and
115	115	1 to 20
116	116	ratio
117	117	H. B. 48
118	118	- 3 - 25 LC 56 0224
119	119	(8) High school general education program (9-12) ..................
120	120	66
121	121	67
122	122	68
123	123	69
124	124	1.0000
125	125	weight and
126	126	1 to 23
127	127	ratio
128	128	(9) Career, technical, and agricultural education
129	129	70
130	130	laboratory program (9-12)......................................71
131	131	72
132	132	73
133	133	74
134	134	1.1762
135	135	weight and
136	136	1 to 20
137	137	ratio
138	138	(10) Program for persons with disabilities:
139	139	75
140	140	Category I...................................................76
141	141	77
142	142	78
143	143	79
144	144	2.4763
145	145	weight and
146	146	1 to 8
147	147	ratio
148	148	(11) Program for persons with disabilities:
149	149	80
150	150	Category II ..................................................81
151	151	82
152	152	83
153	153	84
154	154	2.9213
155	155	weight and
156	156	1 to 6.5
157	157	ratio
158	158	(12) Program for persons with disabilities:
159	159	85
160	160	Category III .................................................86
161	161	87
162	162	88
163	163	89
164	164	3.7151
165	165	weight and
166	166	1 to 5
167	167	ratio
168	168	H. B. 48
169	169	- 4 - 25 LC 56 0224
170	170	(13) Program for persons with disabilities:
171	171	90
172	172	Category IV .................................................91
173	173	92
174	174	93
175	175	94
176	176	6.0106
177	177	weight and
178	178	1 to 3
179	179	ratio
180	180	(14) Program for persons with disabilities:
181	181	95
182	182	Category V ..................................................96
183	183	97
184	184	98
185	185	99
186	186	2.5307
187	187	weight and
188	188	1 to 8
189	189	ratio
190	190	(15) Program for intellectually gifted students:
191	191	100
192	192	Category VI .................................................101
193	193	102
194	194	103
195	195	104
196	196	1.7340
197	197	weight and
198	198	1 to 12
199	199	ratio
200	200	(16) Remedial education program ...............................
201	201	105
202	202	106
203	203	107
204	204	1.3698
205	205	weight and
206	206	1 to 15
207	207	ratio
208	208	(17) Alternative education program ..............................
209	209	108
210	210	109
211	211	110
212	212	111
213	213	1.5026
214	214	weight and
215	215	1 to 15
216	216	ratio
217	217	H. B. 48
218	218	- 5 - 25 LC 56 0224
219	219	(18) English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program . ........
220	220	112
221	221	113
222	222	114
223	223	115
224	224	2.6313
225	225	weight and
226	226	1 to 7
227	227	ratio
228	228	(19) Refugee and International Students Equalization (RISE) program
229	229	...116
230	230	117
231	231	118
232	232	119
233	233	1.2000
234	234	weight and
235	235	1 to 7
236	236	ratio"
237	237	SECTION 3.
238	238	120
239	239	This Act shall become effective July 1, 2025, and shall be applicable beginning in121
240	240	the 2026-2027 school year and each school year thereafter.122
241	241	SECTION 4.123
242	242	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.124
243	243	H. B. 48
244	244	- 6 -