Title 20

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Child” means any individual under 18 years of age. (2) “Fictive kin” means an individual who is known to a child as a relative but is not in fact related by blood or marriage to such child and with whom such child has resided or had signific…

(a) A kinship caregiver shall be authorized, on behalf of a child residing with the kinship caregiver, which child is not in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services, to give legal consent for such child to: (1) Receive any e…

(a) No person who acts in good faith reliance on a properly executed kinship caregiver’s affidavit, having no actual knowledge of any facts contrary to those stated in the affidavit, shall be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution, or to professional disciplinary proc…

(a) A kinship caregiver’s affidavit shall be invalid unless it substantially contains, in not less than ten-point boldface type or a reasonable equivalent thereof, the form set forth in subsection (b) of this Code section. The warning statement shall be enclosed in a box with thr…

The governing boards of public school systems of this state are authorized to establish pension and retirement allowances out of local funds to supplement the allowances provided for teachers under the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. Application of other state-funded pensi…

Teachers in the University System of Georgia who upon retirement receive retirement pay or allowances from or through the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia shall not be disqualified thereby from becoming members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. As u…

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is authorized to establish pension and retirement allowances to supplement the allowances provided for teachers under the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. sion or retirement benefits to members and beneficiaries of Teac…

Any individual appointed to act as a surrogate parent for a child pursuant to federal law (P.L. 94-142) and federal regulations (34 C.F.R. 8300.514), as such law and regulations existed on January 1, 1985, shall not be liable for any civil damages for any action or actions done w…

(a) The Sunday commencing the third week of November of each year is designated as Retired Teachers’ Day. (b) The Governor may issue annually a proclamation designating the Sunday commencing the third week of November of each year as Retired Teachers’ Day and calling upon public …

Plains High School is designated as the official Georgia state school. History. Code 1981, § 20-1-6.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1060, § 1.

(a) No person may buy, sell, create, duplicate, alter, give, or obtain or attempt to buy, sell, create, duplicate, alter, give, or obtain a diploma, certificate, academic record, certificate of enrollment, or other instrument which purports to signify merit or achievement conferred…

Any lottery funds appropriated for purposes of new capital construction shall be placed in a Construction Reserve Trust Fund to be maintained by the appropriate fiscal officers of state government. Funds so placed in the Construction Reserve Trust Fund shall be deemed to be commit…

Except as may otherwise be specifically provided, as used in this title, the term “local school system” shall refer to both any county school system and any independent school system which may be in existence in a county. The terms “local boards of education” and “county boards of…

The Department of Early Care and Learning is created as a department of the executive branch of state government and shall have the duties, responsibilities, functions, powers, and authority set forth in this chapter and otherwise provided by law. The Department of Early Care and…

(a) The department is authorized and empowered to establish, maintain, extend, and improve throughout the state, within the limits of funds appropriated for such purposes, the regulation of early care and education programs by providing consultation and making recommendations con…

A determination by the department regarding payments and eligibility pursuant to any federal program or grant shall be preceded by notice and opportunity for a hearing and shall constitute a contested case within the meaning of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the “Georgia Administrative …

(a) Any person who violates the provisions of Code Section 20-1A-10 or who hinders, obstructs, or otherwise interferes with any representative of the department in the discharge of that person’s official duties in making inspections or in investigating complaints as provided in s…

(a) This Code section shall be applicable to any early care and education program which is subject to regulation by the department in accordance with this chapter. For purposes of this Code section, the term “license” shall be used to refer to any license, commission, or permit i…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Emergency order” or “order” means a written directive by the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee placing a monitor in a program or providing notice of intended emergency closure of a program. (2) “Monitor” means a person de…

(a) The department upon application or petition may grant variances and waivers to specific rules and regulations which establish standards for early care and education programs regulated by the department as follows: (1) The department may authorize departure from the literal req…

(a) As used in this chapter, the term “inspection warrant” means a warrant authorizing a search or inspection of private property where such a search or inspection is one that is necessary for the enforcement of any of the provisions of laws authorizing licensure, inspection, or …

It shall be the duty of all other state departments, agencies, officers, and employees to assure the most effective coordination and use of state resources, personnel, and facilities for the benefit of children and youths and to assist the department in effectuating the purposes o…

The commissioner and the State School Superintendent, with the concurrence of the board for the department and the State Board of Education, are authorized to transfer programs relating to early childhood education from the Department of Education to the department, as long as su…

(a) Each child care learning center and family child care learning home shall, by September 1 of each year, provide to the parent or guardian of each child enrolled therein educational information on the influenza vaccine. Such information shall include, but not be limited to: (1)…

As used in this chapter, the term: (1) “Board” means the Board of Early Care and Learning. (2) “Change of ownership applicant” means any licensed or commissioned early care and education program applying for a new license or commission to operate an early care and education progr…

(a) There is created a Board of Early Care and Learning and a commissioner of early care and learning. (b) The board shall consist of one member from each congressional district appointed by the Governor. In as far as it is practical, the members of the board shall be representat…

The Department of Early Care and Learning shall have the following powers and duties: (1) To administer such programs and services as may be necessary for the operation and management of voluntary pre-kindergarten, which shall be known as “Georgia’s Pre-K Program”; (2) To adminis…

(a) The department shall have the power and authority to incorporate a nonprofit corporation that could qualify as a public foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to aid the department in carrying out any of its powers and in accomplishing any of its purpo…

This chapter shall not be construed to impair or affect the rights of persons previously transferred to the Office of School Readiness who were members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia created in Chapter 3 of Title 47 and who elected to continue membership in such ret…

The department shall succeed to all rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and pending and finalized administrative orders of the Office of School Readiness which are in effect on September 30, 2004. Such rules, regulations, policies, and procedures shall remain in effect until…

Each newly printed publication, poster, banner, or sign created for the pre-kindergarten program by the department or a provider of pre-kindergarten services shall refer to the program as “Georgia’s Pre-K Program.” History. Code 1981, § 20-1A-7, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1083, §…

(a) Effective October 1, 2004, the department shall carry out all of the functions and exercise all of the powers formerly held by the Department of Human Resources (now known as the Department of Human Services) for the regulation and licensure of early care and education progra…

The department shall succeed to all rights and responsibilities relating to licensure and regulation of day-care centers (now known as child care learning centers), group day-care homes (now known as child care learning centers), and family day-care homes (now known as family chi…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Drug-free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.” History. Code 1981, § 20-1-20, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2037, § 1.

The General Assembly finds that the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, or use of marijuana, controlled substances, or dangerous drugs in an unlawful manner is a serious threat to the public health, safety, and welfare and to the academic achievement of students enrolled …

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Authority” means the Georgia Student Finance Authority created pursuant to Code Section 20-3-313. (2) “Controlled substance” means any drug, substance, or immediate precursor included in the definition of the term “controlled substance” in p…

Any student of a public educational institution who is convicted, under the laws of this state, the United States, or any other state, of any felony offense involving the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, or use of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug…

(a) Any student of a nonpublic educational institution who is convicted, under the laws of this state, the United States, or any other state, of any felony offense involving the manufacture, distribution, sale, possession, or use of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangero…

The suspension sanctions and sanctions involving denial of state funds as prescribed in this article are intended as minimum sanctions, and nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit any educational institution from establishing and implementing additional or more str…

Administrative procedures for the implementation of this article shall be promulgated for the educational institutions under their respective management and control by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the State Board of the Technical College System of …

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Comprehensive records check determination” means a satisfactory or unsatisfactory determination by the department, based upon a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check, a search of the National Crime Information Center’s National S…

(a) A support center may furnish to the department a records check application for each potential employee of any licensed, commissioned, or permitted early care and education program. Before a person affiliated with a support center may become an employee of any licensed, commis…

(a) Accompanying any application for a new license or commission for an early care and education program, the applicant shall furnish to the department a records check application for the director and each employee. In lieu of such records check applications, the license applican…

After being furnished the required records check application under Code Section 20-1A-32, the department shall notify the license, commission, or change of ownership applicant and the records check applicant in writing whether the department’s determination as to a potential dire…

(a) The department shall receive a records check application, as may be required by the department and allowed under federal law, for any individual that cares for children through a program that receives, either directly or indirectly, federal funds through the department for th…

(a) Where there is need for a provisional employee to work at a licensed, commissioned, or permitted early care and education program facility, such early care and education program may utilize an individual as a provisional employee only after the individual receives a satisfact…