HB133: HB133 Student Character Development Act; enact

Georgia law currently sets rules for compulsory school attendance but does not address so-called 'released time' programs, where students leave school to take religious or moral instruction from an outside person or organization. This bill lets local school boards (called local education agencies) adopt a policy allowing any student to be excused for at least one hour per school week to attend such a course. The policy would require written parental consent, attendance records kept by the course provider, a criminal records check for instructors, and transportation arranged by the family unless the provider offers it with consent. Schools could not use their own funds beyond minor administrative costs, and courses could not be held on school property unless the school already opens its facilities to community groups generally. Districts could also choose to award academic credit for the course based on secular, non-religious criteria. Students attending would not be marked absent, and the law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

• Allows local school boards to adopt a policy excusing students for at least one hour per school week to attend outside religious moral instruction, called a 'released time course.'
• Requires written parental or guardian consent before a student can participate in a released time course.
• Requires a criminal records check for anyone providing a released time course to students under an adopted policy.
• Lets districts award academic credit for completed released time courses using secular, non-religious evaluation criteria.
• Prohibits students who attend a released time course from being marked absent from school.
• Directs the Department of Education to create model policies and to maximize state and federal funding for districts regardless of student participation in these courses.

Public school students and their parents or guardians, local school boards and district officials who would design and administer these policies, outside religious or moral instruction providers who must pass criminal records checks, and the Georgia Department of Education, which must issue model policies and manage funding effects.

Students could regularly leave campus for religious or moral instruction without being counted absent or losing school funding for their district, while parents retain control through required consent. Districts would need new policies covering transportation, credit, background checks, and liability before offering this option.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Student Character Development Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-692.4, defining 'released time course' and letting local education agencies adopt a policy excusing students for at least one hour weekly.
• The policy must require parental consent, attendance recordkeeping by the provider, family-arranged transportation unless the provider offers it with consent, and provider assumption of responsibility for the student during the activity.
• Local funds beyond minor administrative costs cannot be spent on the courses, and courses cannot be held on school property unless the property is already open to community groups generally.
• A criminal records check is required for individuals providing released time courses.
• Districts may award academic credit using secular criteria such as instruction hours, syllabus review, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications, with no test for religious content.
• Districts and their officials are shielded from civil liability for injuries during private transportation to or from a released time course.
• The Department of Education must maximize state and federal funding for districts regardless of participation levels and must issue model policies; the Act takes effect upon the Governor's approval or becoming law without it.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-01-29House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-01-28House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-27House Hopper (House)

• David Clark (R, HD-100)Primary sponsor
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)

• religious education
• public schools
• school attendance policy
• academic credit
• student privacy and safety