HB127: HB127 Education; number of accumulated sick leave days for teachers and other school personnel; increase from three to five

The bill as originally titled dealt with teacher sick leave, but the substitute text passed by the Senate Committee on Education and Youth replaces that subject entirely. It adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-1-12) that prohibits local school districts and public postsecondary institutions, meaning University System of Georgia schools and Technical College System of Georgia units, from promoting, supporting, or maintaining any program or activity that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill defines diversity, equity, and inclusion broadly, covering efforts tied to race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and for colleges, taking an official position on topics like implicit bias or systemic oppression. It exempts athletics programs and shared restrooms or locker rooms. Colleges that violate the rule risk losing state or state-administered federal funding, including student aid, and school districts risk having state funding withheld by the State Board of Education. It would take effect July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 school year.

• Bans local school districts and public colleges and technical schools from promoting, supporting, or maintaining programs that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Defines diversity, equity, and inclusion to include efforts tied to race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation in policies, training, or recruitment.
• Lets the state cut off funding, including student financial aid, to public colleges that violate the ban, and lets the State Board of Education withhold funding from violating school districts.
• Exempts athletics programs and shared restrooms, locker rooms, or changing areas from the new restrictions.
• Blocks schools from using existing waiver programs, such as charter system or strategic waivers status, to get around this rule.
• Sets an effective date of July 1, 2025, applying to the 2025-2026 school year for districts and the 2025-2026 academic year for colleges.

Local school districts and their staff, public university and technical college administrators, students who receive state-funded scholarships, loans, or grants, and any school or college program focused on diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives face new restrictions and possible funding penalties.

Schools and colleges would have to shut down or avoid diversity, equity, and inclusion programming or risk losing state money, including student financial aid at colleges. This could reshape training, hiring practices, and campus programming statewide, though athletics and restroom policies are carved out.

• Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 20-1-12, defining 'local education agency,' 'postsecondary institution,' and 'multiple occupancy restroom or changing area.'
• Subsection (b) lists five categories of prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion activity, including preferential treatment and promoting concepts like systemic oppression as official college positions.
• Subsection (c) exempts athletics programs and restroom or locker room policies from the ban.
• Subsection (d) allows withholding of state or state-administered federal funding, including student aid, from postsecondary institutions that violate the ban.
• Subsection (e) allows the State Board of Education to withhold funding from local school districts that violate the ban under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-243.
• Subsection (f) blocks schools from using charter system, strategic waiver, or completion special school waivers to avoid this requirement.
• Subsection (g) clarifies the section does not override existing state or federal antidiscrimination laws.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying beginning with the 2025-2026 school year or academic year.

1. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
2. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2025-04-02Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
4. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
5. 2025-03-28Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-06House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)Primary sponsor
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   172 yea, 3 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #246

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   33 yea, 21 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Motion To Remove From The Table: Senate Vote #434

3. FailedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   21 yea, 33 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Table: Senate Vote #435

4. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   33 yea, 22 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Shall The Ruling Of The Chair Be Sustained: Senate Vote #437

5. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   33 yea, 22 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Resolve Debate: Senate Vote #438

6. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   33 yea, 22 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Shall The Ruling Of The Chair Be Sustained: Senate Vote #439

7. FailedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   22 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Reconsider The Motion To Resolve Debate: Senate Vote #440

8. FailedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   22 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Table: Senate Vote #441

9. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   33 yea, 21 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #442

10. FailedSenate voteApril 3, 2025

    22 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

    Motion For Reconsideration: Senate Vote #443

• diversity equity and inclusion
• public schools
• higher education funding
• school district funding
• education policy