Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB694 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 61 0004
2	2	House Bill 694
3	3	By: Representatives Lupton of the 83
4	4	rd
5	5	, Lim of the 98
6	6	th
7	7	, and Wilkerson of the 38
8	8	th
9	9
10	10	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	11	AN ACT
12	12	To amend Article 14 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
13	13	1
14	14	relating to elementary and secondary education grants, so as to provide for the State Board2
15	15	of Education to establish a five-year school pilot program to increase the availability of3
16	16	effective school counseling and postsecondary preparation services in secondary schools to4
17	17	increase high school graduation rates and the percentage of students who continue into5
18	18	postsecondary education; to provide for eligibility; to provide for grant funds for local6
19	19	education agencies to increase the availability of effective school counseling at public7
20	20	secondary schools; to provide for applications and selection to participate in the pilot8
21	21	program; to provide for assessment and reporting on the impacts of the pilot program; to9
22	22	authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to10
23	23	implement the pilot program; to provide for waivers and variances of state rules, regulations,11
24	24	policies, and procedures if necessary; to provide for automatic repeal; to provide for related12
25	25	matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.13
26	26	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:14
27	27	H. B. 694
28	28	- 1 - 25 LC 61 0004
29	29	SECTION 1.
30	30	15
31	31	Article 14 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to16
32	32	elementary and secondary education grants, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-640,17
33	33	which is reserved, as follows:18
34	34	"20-2-640.19
35	35	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
36	36	20
37	37	(1) 'Local education agency' shall have the same meaning as provided for in Code21
38	38	Section 20-2-167.1.22
39	39	(2) 'Local governing body' means the local board of education, governing board, or other23
40	40	legal entity responsible for the governance and oversight of a local education agency.24
41	41	(3) 'Participating school' means a public secondary school identified by the State Board25
42	42	of Education or local governing body as participating in the pilot program.26
43	43	(4) 'Postsecondary institution' shall have the same meaning as 'eligible postsecondary27
44	44	institution' as defined in Code Section 20-3-519.28
45	45	(5) 'School counselor' means an individual who holds a service certificate in School29
46	46	Counseling P-12 issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.30
47	47	(b) The State Board of Education shall establish a pilot program to provide funding to31
48	48	eligible local education agencies to increase the availability of effective school counseling32
49	49	and postsecondary preparation services in secondary schools with the goal of increasing33
50	50	the graduation rate within the state and increasing the percentage of students who34
51	51	appropriately prepare for, apply to, and continue into postsecondary education.35
52	52	(c) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the pilot program shall include36
53	53	funding for up to $3 million each school year, for up to five school years, beginning with37
54	54	the 2027-2028 school year, to eligible local education agencies selected by the State Board38
55	55	of Education to participate in the pilot program.39
56	56	(d) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, a local education agency shall submit40
57	57	an application to participate in the pilot program, which application shall include:41
58	58	H. B. 694
59	59	- 2 - 25 LC 61 0004
60	60	(1) A list of the participating school or schools within the local education agency and the42
61	61	current number of school counselors and ratio of counselors to students at each43
62	62	participating school;44
63	63	(2) Whether the local education agency has entered into, or has committed to45
64	64	establishing, one or more partnerships with postsecondary institutions to support and46
65	65	increase the capacity and effectiveness of the counseling and postsecondary preparation47
66	66	services provided to secondary school students enrolled in or receiving such services48
67	67	from participating schools;49
68	68	(3) Whether the local education agency has entered into, or has committed to50
69	69	establishing, one or more partnerships with community organizations and with nonprofit51
70	70	organizations, including, but not limited to, those that provide wraparound student52
71	71	supports and dropout prevention services;53
72	72	(4) A description of the local education agency or participating school's existing early54
73	73	warning system or plans to develop an early warning system to identify students who may55
74	74	be at risk of dropping out or who may be off-track for graduation;56
75	75	(5) The local education agency's plan for use of the grant money, including the extent to57
76	76	which the grant money will be used to increase the number of school counselors at58
77	77	participating schools and to provide professional development for school counselors or59
78	78	other faculty members to provide postsecondary preparation services at participating60
79	79	schools;61
80	80	(6) The local education agency's use of needs assessments that identify challenging62
81	81	issues within the local education agency or participating schools in terms of student63
82	82	learning and success;64
83	83	(7) Identification of any programs or services provided by the local education agency or65
84	84	participating schools that have helped to increase graduation rates and the level of66
85	85	postsecondary success;67
86	86	H. B. 694
87	87	- 3 - 25 LC 61 0004
88	88	(8) The attendance, grade-retention and promotion, and grading policies implemented68
89	89	by the local education agency or participating schools;69
90	90	(9) Whether the local education agency intends to provide matching funds to augment70
91	91	any grant moneys received from the program and the anticipated amount and source of71
92	92	any matching funds; and72
93	93	(10) The local education agency's plan for continuing to fund the increases in school73
94	94	counseling services and postsecondary preparation services following the expiration of74
95	95	the grant.75
96	96	(e)(1) The State Board of Education shall establish requirements and criteria for selecting76
97	97	eligible local education agencies to participate in the pilot program in accordance with77
98	98	the provisions of this Code section.78
99	99	(2) When selecting participants for the pilot program, the State Board of Education shall79
100	100	give priority to local education agencies that identify participating schools with dropout80
101	101	rates or percentages of students eligible for free and reduced price school meals that81
102	102	exceed the state-wide average.82
103	103	(f) The State Board of Education shall establish reporting requirements for the local83
104	104	education agencies participating in the pilot program. Such reporting requirements shall84
105	105	include:85
106	106	(1) The number of school counselors hired using grant moneys from the pilot program;86
107	107	(2) Any professional development programs provided using grant moneys from the pilot87
108	108	program;88
109	109	(3) Any other services provided using grant moneys from the pilot program;89
110	110	(4) Dropout rates and graduation rates, as defined by the department, for each90
111	111	participating school for the years of the pilot program and the five years preceding the91
112	112	school's participation in the pilot program;92
113	113	(5) The percentage of graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution, the percentage93
114	114	of graduates who are working and not enrolled in a postsecondary institution, and the94
115	115	H. B. 694
116	116	- 4 - 25 LC 61 0004
117	117	percentage of graduates who enlist in the armed forces for each participating school for95
118	118	the years of the pilot program and the five years preceding the school's participation in96
119	119	the pilot program;97
120	120	(6) Information on the level of postsecondary preparation services provided to students98
121	121	at participating schools and a description of such services; and99
122	122	(7) Any additional information the State Board of Education, by rule, may require.100
123	123	(g) To implement the pilot program, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the101
124	124	contrary, the State Board of Education shall be authorized to waive or provide variances102
125	125	to state rules, regulations, policies, and procedures and to provisions of this chapter that103
126	126	may be reasonably necessary to meet the goals of the pilot program.104
127	127	(h) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry105
128	128	out the provisions of this Code section.106
129	129	(i)(1) By January 1, 2026, the Department of Education shall develop an application107
130	130	process and seek applications from local education agencies for the pilot program to be108
131	131	submitted no later than November 1, 2026.109
132	132	(2)(A) The Department of Education shall monitor and annually assess the status of the110
133	133	pilot program with cooperation and input from local education agencies participating111
134	134	in the pilot program.112
135	135	(B) Beginning no later than October 1, 2028, and by October 1 of each year thereafter,113
136	136	the Department of Education shall provide to the State Board of Education a report of114
137	137	the annual assessment provided for in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.115
138	138	(j) This Code section shall stand repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2033. Reserved."116
139	139	SECTION 2.117
140	140	This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.118
141	141	H. B. 694
142	142	- 5 - 25 LC 61 0004
143	143	SECTION 3.
144	144	119
145	145	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.120
146	146	H. B. 694
147	147	- 6 -