LC 61 0264S
The House Committee on Rules offers the following substitute to SB 148:
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 that local boards of education shall be2
authorized to provide instruction in hunting safety in grades six through 12; to provide for3
the adoption of content standards by the State Board of Education; to provide that local4
boards of education may establish a curriculum in hunting safety; to provide for instructor5
requirements; to provide for an outdoor learning spaces pilot program; to provide for a pilot6
program evaluation and report; to remove the requirement of having a licensed physician in7
automated external defibrillator programs; to increase from three to five the number of8
accumulated sick leave days teachers and other school personnel may take each school year9
for personal or professional reasons; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws;10
and for other purposes.11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:12
SECTION 1.13
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and14
secondary education, is amended in Part 14 of Article 6, relating to other educational15
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programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by revising Code Section 20-2-308,16
which is reserved, as follows:17
"20-2-308.18
(a) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, each local board of education shall be19
authorized to provide instruction in hunting safety in grades six through 12, which20
instruction may be incorporated into an existing course of study.21
(b) No later than April 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall adopt content standards22
for such instruction in hunting safety.23
(c) Each local board of education shall be authorized to establish a curriculum for24
instruction in hunting safety, which curriculum shall be based on the hunter education25
courses offered by the Department of Natural Resources.26
(d) Instruction in hunting safety offered pursuant to this Code section shall be taught by27
an individual who is certified as a hunter education instructor by the Department of Natural28
Resources. Reserved."29
SECTION 2.30
Said chapter is further amended in Article 11, relating to public school property and facilities,31
by adding a new part to read as follows:32
"Part 433
20-2-590.34
(a) The Department of Education is authorized to establish a pilot program, beginning in35
the 2025-2026 school year, to provide for the development and study of outdoor learning36
spaces on elementary and secondary school property. The purpose of the pilot program37
shall be to determine whether and how to implement best practices and design standards38
for outdoor learning spaces.39
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(b) The Department of Education is authorized to select elementary or secondary schools40
with sufficient existing or potential outdoor learning spaces for participation in the pilot41
program as pilot schools. Private, nonprofit, and local school system funding may be42
utilized by such pilot schools for community engagement, school grounds design support,43
and capital construction costs. The local board of education for each pilot school shall44
agree to implement a program to incorporate outdoor learning spaces into the existing45
curriculum and to continue to provide such program for a period no shorter than three46
years.47
(c) The Department of Education shall provide for an evaluation regarding the success and48
impact of the pilot program upon completion of the third year of the pilot program and49
shall report the results of such evaluation to the House Committee on Education and the50
Senate Education and Youth Committee."51
SECTION 3.52
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-775, relating to automated53
external defibrillators required in high schools, requirements, and funding, as follows:54
"20-2-775.55
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:56
(1) 'Automated external defibrillator' means a defibrillator which:57
(A) Is capable of cardiac rhythm analysis;58
(B) Will charge and be capable of being activated to deliver a countershock after59
electrically detecting the presence of certain cardiac dysrhythmias; and60
(C) Is capable of continuously recording cardiac dysrhythmia at the scene with a61
mechanism for transfer and storage or for printing for review subsequent to use.62
(2) 'Emergency action plan' means the plan established pursuant to paragraph (5) of63
subsection (c) of this Code section to provide for an emergency response to a person in64
cardiac arrest.65
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(3) 'Internal response team' means the team of school personnel established pursuant to66
paragraph (7) (6) of subsection (c) of this Code section responsible for oversight of an67
emergency response to a person in cardiac arrest and implementation of the emergency68
action plan.69
(4) 'School' means a public school in this state which provides K-12 education.70
(b) No later than July 1, 2025, each school in this state shall have at least one functional71
automated external defibrillator on site at such school at all times and easily accessible72
during all school hours and during any school related function, including athletic practices,73
athletic competitions, and other occasions where students and others will be present, for74
use during emergencies.75
(c) Each school shall:76
(1) Ensure that each member of the internal response team and any other expected users77
of the automated external defibrillator receive American Heart Association or American78
Red Cross training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator79
use or complete an equivalent nationally recognized course;80
(2) Notify the appropriate emergency medical services system of the existence and81
location of each automated external defibrillator prior to said automated external82
defibrillator being placed in use;83
(3) Ensure that the automated external defibrillator is maintained and tested according84
to the manufacturer's operational guidelines;85
(4) Ensure that there is involvement of a licensed physician or other person authorized86
by the Georgia Composite Medical Board in the site's automated external defibrillator87
program to ensure compliance with requirements for training, notification, and88
maintenance;89
(5)(4) Establish a written emergency action plan that adheres to nationally recognized90
standards and that establishes specific steps to take during a cardiac emergency in a91
school setting. Such plan shall be designed to provide for an effective system for92
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communication between members of the internal response team and other school93
officials, ensuring that the internal response team or other designated personnel activate94
the emergency medical services system as soon as reasonably possible after any person95
renders emergency care or treatment to a person in cardiac arrest by using an automated96
external defibrillator and report any clinical use of the automated external defibrillator97
to the licensed physician or other person authorized by the Georgia Composite Medical98
Board who is supervising the program, and ensuring that emergency medical services99
personnel are led directly to the exact location of the person in cardiac arrest;100
(6)(5) Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter, conduct101
a minimum of two emergency action plan practice drills per school year, with at least one102
per semester. One such practice drill may be a tabletop drill to walk through a103
hypothetical scenario and the courses of action a school will need to take before, during,104
and after a cardiac emergency. The emergency action plan practice drills shall include105
various locations on school grounds and responses to different hypothetical situations;106
(7)(6) Establish a designated internal response team composed of:107
(A) At least five school staff members;108
(B) One or more designated team leads trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and109
automated external defibrillator use and responsible for oversight of an emergency110
response;111
(C) One or more designated cardiopulmonary resuscitation leads trained in112
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use;113
(D) One or more designated automated external defibrillator leads, responsible for114
knowing the location of automated external defibrillators, retrieving automated external115
defibrillators, and maintenance of automated external defibrillators; and116
(E) One or more designated communication leads responsible for activating the117
emergency medical services system, facilitating directions to the person in cardiac118
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arrest for emergency medical services personnel upon arrival at the school, and119
coordinating communications with the designated team lead or leads; and120
(8)(7) Apprise all school personnel of the location of automated external defibrillators121
and the members of the internal response team.122
(d) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the Department of Education shall123
provide funds to local school systems to assist in the purchase of automated external124
defibrillators pursuant to this Code section.125
(e) The department and local school systems shall use diligent efforts to identify private126
sources of funding or donation of funding and equipment to meet the requirements of this127
Code section."128
SECTION 4.129
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-851, relating to use of130
accumulated sick leave for personal or professional reasons, as follows:131
"20-2-851.132
During any school year, personnel may utilize up to a maximum of three five days of any133
accumulated sick leave for the purpose of absenting themselves from their duties for134
personal or professional reasons if prior approval of their absence is given by the local135
school superintendent or his or her authorized representative; provided, however, that the136
absence is not in conflict with a local board of education policy concerning school days on137
which the presence of the personnel requesting absence is essential for effective school138
operation. No grant of approval for an absence permitted under this Code section shall be139
conditioned upon disclosure of the specific purpose for which such absence is sought, nor140
shall any such grant of approval be withheld or denied because of the failure or refusal of141
personnel to disclose the specific purpose for which such an absence is sought; provided,142
however, that personnel may be requested to state whether the absence is sought under the143
category of 'personal' or 'professional' absence."144
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SECTION 5.145
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.146
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