# Georgia SB 1: 'Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act'; enact Georgia SB 1, 'Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act'; enact, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by John Albers (Republican), Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Lee Anderson (Republican) and 27 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB1-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Georgia SB 1 - State: Georgia - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: 'Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act'; enact - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date - Sponsors: John Albers (Republican), Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Lee Anderson (Republican), Brandon Beach (Republican), Timothy Bearden (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Max Burns (Republican), Bill Cowsert (Republican), Clint Dixon (Republican), Greg Dolezal (Republican), Drew Echols (Republican), Frank Ginn (Republican), Steve Gooch (Republican), Russ Goodman (Republican), Marty Harbin (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Billy Hickman (Republican), Mike Hodges (Republican), Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), John F. Kennedy (Republican), Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Colton Moore (Republican), Chuck Payne (Republican), Randy Robertson (Republican), Shawn Still (Republican), Brian Strickland (Republican), Blake Tillery (Republican), Larry Walker (Republican), Ben Watson (Republican), Sam Watson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Education, Education and Youth, General Bill - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (242 yes, 237 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Harmed student athletes can seek damages: benefit, medium. Students can sue when violations deny athletic opportunities or cause harm; parents or guardians may act on their behalf. Students also have a right to sue over retaliation or other adverse action for reporting violations. Lawsuits must begin within two years after the alleged harm. Courts can orde… - Public schools must support equal sports opportunities: benefit, low. Public schools running interscholastic or intramural teams must make all reasonable efforts to provide equal athletic opportunities for both sexes. Reviews cover sports and competition levels, equipment, schedules, travel, coaching, tutoring, staff assignments and pay, facilities, medical services,… - Schools must offer some scholarship-linked sports: benefit, low. A public school sponsoring a similar sport must also offer the sport tied to a University System of Georgia athletic scholarship. A Department of Education-approved student survey showing too little interest allows an exemption for up to 24 months. A later survey showing enough interest requires th… - Students get sports complaint deadlines: benefit, low. Each covered entity must name a compliance employee, investigate complaints, and annually share that employee's contact information with students. It must publish procedures for written complaints about actual or expected violations and issue a written decision within 30 days. A harmed student, par… - College violations put student aid at risk: cost, medium. Covered colleges or governing bodies that violate the college athletic rules are subject to withholding of state funding. Withholding can include money paid directly to institutions or governing bodies. It can also include student scholarships, loans, and grants covered by the affected state-law ch… - College athletes face sex-based team limits: mixed, medium. Covered colleges must adopt policies labeling intercollegiate teams male or female. In covered Georgia competitions, males cannot compete on female teams. Females can compete on male teams only when no corresponding female team is offered or available. Nonstate colleges are covered only when compet… - College athletes get sex-separated competition facilities: mixed, medium. At covered Georgia college competitions, shared restrooms, changing areas, and sleeping quarters must be designated male or female. Covered colleges must provide comparable facilities and reasonable accommodations, which may include single-occupancy spaces. Accommodations cannot allow opposite-sex… - College practice access has scholarship limits: mixed, medium. Covered colleges cannot award males athletic scholarships allocated to, associated with, or intended for female team members. Males may take part in female-team practices, exhibitions, and scrimmages, but cannot receive scholarships for that participation. This permission does not allow them to com… - School athletes get sex-separated trip facilities: mixed, medium. For covered school competitions, shared restrooms, changing areas, and sleeping quarters must be designated male or female, with comparable facilities. Schools must offer reasonable accommodations, but these cannot allow opposite-sex access while members of that sex are or may be present. Schools c… - Sex-based team rules for school athletes: mixed, medium. Covered schools must label teams male, female, or coed, using biological sex rather than self-identification. Males cannot compete on female teams. Females can compete on male teams only when no corresponding female team is offered or available. Any student can compete on a coed team. Schools may u… - School violations risk postseason and funding penalties: mixed, low. State enforcement covers public schools as well as local school systems, including corrective plans and possible postseason bans. A postseason ban must be ordered and announced before the school year starts. After up to one year to comply, continued willful noncompliance within four years of a Stat… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: John Albers (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Lee Anderson (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Brandon Beach (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Timothy Bearden (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Matt Brass (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Max Burns (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Bill Cowsert (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Clint Dixon (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Greg Dolezal (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Drew Echols (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Frank Ginn (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Steve Gooch (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Russ Goodman (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Marty Harbin (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Bo Hatchett (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Billy Hickman (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Mike Hodges (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Chuck Hufstetler (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: John F. Kennedy (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Colton Moore (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Chuck Payne (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Randy Robertson (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Shawn Still (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Brian Strickland (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Blake Tillery (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Larry Walker (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Ben Watson (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Sam Watson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Josh Bonner (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-31 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED | fail | 17 | 37 | 1 | | 2025-03-31 | Senate | AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE | pass | 34 | 20 | 1 | | 2025-03-31 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 100 | 64 | 5 | | 2025-02-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #3 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 44TH | fail | 19 | 33 | | | 2025-02-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #2 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 41ST | fail | 18 | 34 | | | 2025-02-06 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 35 | 17 | | | 2025-02-06 | Senate | ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #1 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 22ND | fail | 19 | 32 | 1 | ## Actions (16) - 2025-07-01: Effective Date - 2025-04-28: Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-28: Act 11 - 2025-04-07: Senate Sent to Governor (Senate) - 2025-03-31: House Third Readers (House) - 2025-03-31: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House) - 2025-03-31: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate) - 2025-03-25: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House) - 2025-02-11: House Second Readers (House) - 2025-02-10: House First Readers (House) - 2025-02-06: Senate Third Read (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Senate Read Second Time (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate) - 2025-01-14: Senate Read and Referred (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Senate Hopper (Senate) ## Bill text - SB 1/AP* (v16): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/238607) ## 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 - [SB 1/AP* (v16) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/238607) ## 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-SB1-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).