GeorgiaHB 2682025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Education; safety, health, and well-being of students and school communities; provide

Sponsored By: Jon Burns (Republican), Chuck Efstration (Republican), Chris Erwin (Republican), Houston Gaines (Republican), Gerald Greene (Republican), Holt Persinger (Republican)

Signed by Governor

EducationJudiciaryGeneral Bill

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

15 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 1 costs, 7 mixed.

Faster parent access to school records

You can get an electronic copy of your child’s full school record right away and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the third business day. When records move to a new school, the school must notify you, give you a copy on request within five school business days, and meet with you within five school business days to review or correct them. Both parents can see records unless a court order removes that right or parental rights were ended. Your local board must post a parent involvement policy each year by June 1. By December 31, 2025, the state privacy officer publishes clear guidance on what student and health records can be shared and with whom, and updates it every year.

Schooling protected for kids in custody

Students in DJJ or DFCS custody are admitted to school right away, even without records. The receiving district must request records within five school business days. If an agency claims consent is needed, it must release what it can, list what is held and why within five school business days, contact the parent for consent, and release the record once consent is received. State agencies count as legal custodians for records. RESA student affairs officers help fix record disputes and can issue notices. Facilities that teach children who cannot leave must have a written agreement with the local school system covering enrollment counts, funding by days, who employs teachers, and record-sharing rights; reviewed at least every two years and updated by October 1, 2025 if missing disclosure rules. When possible, custodians must give at least five days’ notice before moving a child to a new district.

Harsher penalties for school threats

The law creates crimes for terroristic threats against schools and terroristic acts on schools. A threat is a misdemeanor, but a threat suggesting someone will die is a felony. Carrying out a terroristic act is a felony, with higher penalties if serious injury happens, up to 5–40 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. A conviction for a threat needs more than only the threatened person’s testimony.

24/7 anonymous tips and threat reporting

By July 1, 2026, schools run or contract for a 24/7 anonymous reporting program with multilingual crisis support, an app, quick routing to school teams, and coordination with 9‑1‑1 and police. Schools with a compliant program as of July 1, 2025 are exempt. If funded, the state builds systems for schools to share and track threats; a student’s name is added only after police verify the threat and a certified school social worker evaluates. Hearings under this subpart stay confidential; the state posts anonymized public summaries.

More school mental health staff and training

High‑needs elementary and middle schools must run PBIS and RTI, give Tier 1 supports to all students, and give at least 95% of staff two hours of behavioral‑health training each year. The state can fund PBIS/RTI and, if funded, pay beginning salaries and benefits for 1–3 student advocacy specialists per district size; duties and rules are set by December 31, 2025. Starting in the 2026–27 school year, grades 6–12 students get at least one hour of suicide prevention and one hour of youth‑violence prevention each year. The state posts approved evidence‑based programs by January 1, 2026. By January 1, 2027, school safety plans must add behavioral‑health supports and a threat assessment plan, with DBHDD approval and technical help.

Quicker transfers but new enrollment steps

A transferring student can start school the next day with up to 10 school days of provisional enrollment. If key records don’t arrive, the school may place the student in temporary remote learning until records or review are complete. For permanent enrollment above third grade, a parent must sign a disclosure of serious discipline or court history and provide certified critical records from the last 24 months or show the new school already has them.

Temporary remote learning after threats

Schools must use progressive discipline for those who disrupt or threaten school operations. If someone is credibly accused of threatening death or serious injury to a group at their school, the school may place them in temporary remote learning. The school must start an investigation and offer counseling. Afterward, the school can return the person to in‑person classes or impose discipline based on the findings.

Emergency alerts and detailed school maps

Beginning July 1, 2026, each public school must use a mobile panic alert system that ties into 9‑1‑1 and responder systems and works with school maps. Schools must buy verified mapping data that prints, shares, runs on mobile, is checked in person by July 1 each year, and labels doors, utilities, key boxes, AEDs, trauma kits, and nearby areas. Schools must coordinate with primary local police before buying maps. The state may set encryption and secure‑transfer rules. Mapping data is exempt from public disclosure, and schools and local governments are immune from civil suits unless there is gross negligence or bad faith.

Help to resolve student record disputes

RESA offices can now step in when schools and families fight over sharing student records. They provide dispute‑resolution help across their service areas. This gives parents and schools a clear place to get records‑sharing problems solved.

Stronger school safety plans each year

Every public school must keep a written safety plan and update it each year. Plans must cover violence, behavioral health needs, disasters, hazards, and terrorism. Schools must get input from parents, students, teachers, and local safety agencies. Plans must include staff training, security reviews, drills, crisis communications, and threat assessment using state guidance. Schools must submit plans to local emergency management, local law enforcement, GEMA, and DBHDD for approval.

Limits on lawsuits over safety training

The law shields schools and staff from many civil lawsuits tied to required suicide and youth‑violence training and reporting. It says the training rules do not create a special duty of care. This reduces legal options for people who claim harm from how these trainings or reports were handled.

Action on prolonged absences and records

If a child misses 30 straight school days without proper notice, the school must refer the case to DFCS for a limited check and to regional staff to confirm enrollment and records. For students age 16 or older, schools may wait 45 days after required steps stop before referring. Schools may try to locate withdrawn students and must compile the full record for immediate release to authorized people. A juvenile court can order parents to attend required meetings or authorize record release and may fine up to $500 for willful failure after a hearing.

Parents notified after police encounters

When police have an official encounter with a school‑age youth, the officer’s employer must send a written report within five days. The report goes to a school official for the youth’s school and to the parent or guardian. No report is required if the contact was not part of law‑enforcement duties or the youth was only a witness. Youth in secure DJJ facilities are also excluded, but DJJ youth in nonsecure placements are included.

Adult court for severe youth crimes

Superior court now has exclusive original jurisdiction over children aged 13–17 for certain severe crimes, including attempts to commit murder and terroristic acts on schools. The law adds some non‑firearm deadly‑weapon attacks that cause serious injury to the juvenile aggravated assault definition, with listed exceptions. When deciding whether to move a case between juvenile and adult court, judges must weigh factors like age, seriousness, risk to the community, victim impact, prior record, maturity, and whether the child can benefit from juvenile programs. These rules change where cases are tried and how youth offenses are charged.

Clear rules for police in schools

If a school uses police, it must have a written agreement by October 1, 2025 that sets how student records and data are handled, whether officers are school officials with access, or a FERPA law‑enforcement unit. The state posts model language by August 1, 2025. Administrators must tell assigned teachers when a student has certain serious felony or chronic discipline history, and let them review the file, keeping details confidential. Courts must notify the superintendent within 30 days when a child age 13–17 is convicted or adjudicated for certain serious offenses.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Cosponsors

Bill Cowsert
Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 383 • No: 63

Senate vote • 3/31/2025

PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 45 • No: 9

Senate vote • 3/31/2025

ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #2 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 41ST

Yes: 25 • No: 29

House vote • 3/31/2025

Agree to Senate Substitute

Yes: 154 • No: 12

House vote • 3/4/2025

PASSAGE

Yes: 159 • No: 13

Actions Timeline

House Date Signed by Governor
4/28/2025House
Act 17
4/28/2025
Effective Date
4/28/2025
House Sent to Governor
4/9/2025House
Senate Third Read
3/31/2025Senate
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
3/31/2025Senate
House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub
3/31/2025House
Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
3/28/2025Senate
Senate Read Second Time
3/28/2025Senate
Senate Read and Referred
3/6/2025Senate
House Third Readers
3/4/2025House
House Passed/Adopted By Substitute
3/4/2025House
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
3/3/2025House
House Second Readers
2/6/2025House
House First Readers
2/5/2025House
House Hopper
2/4/2025House

Bill Text

HB 268/AP* (v14)
PDF

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