HB198: HB198 Education; use of school facilities by certain youth groups; provide

25 LC 62 0116S The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 198: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the us e of local school system2 facilities by certain youth groups; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters;3 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and7 secondary education, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-1 2, which is reserved, as8 follows:9 "20-2-12.10 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'patriotic society' means a youth group listed in11 Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, incl uding the Boy Scouts of12 America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils and the Girl Scouts of the United13 States of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils.14 (b) To encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities15 provided by a patriotic society for the purposes of encouraging civic education, each local16 H. B. 198 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 62 0116S school system that uses state funds to implement programs pursuant to this chapter shall17 not prohibit the use of such local school system's facilities by a patriotic society. When a18 local school system denies a patriotic society access to a faci lity of such system, the19 principal of the school where such facility is located shall pr ovide in writing reasons for20 the denial to a requesting entity. Reserved."21 SECTION 2.22 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.23 H. B. 198 (SUB) - 2 -