# Georgia HB 81: Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; enter into Georgia HB 81, Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; enter into, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Bethany Ballard (Republican), Matt Dubnik (Republican), Chris Erwin (Republican) and 3 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB81-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia HB 81 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; enter into - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-16 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: Bethany Ballard (Republican), Matt Dubnik (Republican), Chris Erwin (Republican), Matthew Gambill (Republican), Holt Persinger (Republican), Rick Townsend (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Education, Education and Youth, General Bill - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (213 yes, 4 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Military families gain school psychologist portability: benefit, medium. Eligible school psychologists who are active-duty military members or their spouses receive special home-state license treatment under the compact. This covers their permanent-residence state and primary state of practice. It also covers a member state where they move under permanent change-of-stat… - States share psychologist records with safeguards: benefit, low. Member states must share licensee data under commission rules, including identity, license details, disciplinary actions, and application denials with reasons. They also share nonconfidential alternative-program participation, whether investigative information exists and its dates, and other requir… - Compact psychologists can face added fees: cost, low. The compact commission can charge fees to psychologists practicing under equivalent licenses and collect annual assessments from member states. Commission rules set how assessments are divided among states. These charges cover the approved annual budget when other revenue falls short; the law sets… - Commission workers receive limited lawsuit protection: cost, low. Commission members, officers, staff, and representatives receive protection from civil liability for qualifying acts within their duties. This includes acts reasonably believed to fall within those duties. The commission must provide a defense and cover qualifying claims. Protection excludes intent… - School psychologists gain cross-state license options: mixed, medium. Georgia joins the school psychologist licensing compact, which takes effect once seven states enact it. Member states must grant equivalent licenses to eligible applicants. Home-state applicants must graduate from a qualifying program, pass a qualifying national exam, and complete at least 1,200 su… - Compact exits include temporary license protection: mixed, low. The commission must notify a defaulting state and offer help to fix its violations. After failed correction and exhausted compliance efforts, a supermajority of member-state delegates can terminate the state's membership. A state can also withdraw by repealing the compact; withdrawal takes effect 1… - Binding compact rules guide psychologist licensing: mixed, low. The law establishes a joint government commission that adopts binding compact rules, budgets, and bylaws. State executive branches and courts must enforce the compact; conflicting state laws are displaced only where they conflict. States keep authority over practice limits, investigations, and disc… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bethany Ballard (Republican), House - Sponsor: Matt Dubnik (Republican), House - Sponsor: Chris Erwin (Republican), House - Sponsor: Matthew Gambill (Republican), House - Sponsor: Holt Persinger (Republican), House - Sponsor: Rick Townsend (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-13 | Senate | PASSAGE | pass | 48 | 2 | 1 | | 2025-02-13 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 165 | 2 | 3 | ## Actions (15) - 2025-07-01: Effective Date - 2025-04-28: House Date Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-04-28: Act 12 - 2025-04-07: House Sent to Governor (House) - 2025-03-13: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2025-03-13: Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-02-13: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-02-13: House Passed/Adopted (House) - 2025-02-11: House Committee Favorably Reported (House) - 2025-01-27: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-01-17: House First Readers (House) - 2025-01-16: House Hopper (House) ## Bill text - HB 81/AP* (v7): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/236191) ## Related bills - SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed) - SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed) - SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed) - SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed) - HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed) - HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed) ## Sources - [HB 81/AP* (v7) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/236191) ## Related - [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026) - [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026) - [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026) - [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026) - [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026) - [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026) - [Georgia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia/bills) - [Georgia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/georgia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB81-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).