SB93: SB93 "Georgia Early Literacy Act"; the three-cuing system from inclusion in high-quality instructional materials or structured literacy; prohibit

Georgia's Early Literacy Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.1) already sets rules for how public schools teach reading. This bill adds a new subsection requiring the Professional Standards Commission, the state body that oversees teacher licensing and preparation programs, to write rules setting criteria for the core curricula used in every state-approved educator preparation program. Those rules must require programs to use state content standards aligned to the science of reading, an evidence-based approach to teaching reading skills. Programs would have to train future teachers in explicit, step-by-step methods for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, and in multisensory teaching strategies. The rules must also cover literacy and math practices, teaching English language learners and students with disabilities, differentiating instruction, early identification of reading problems, and using technology in instruction.

• Adds a new subsection to the Georgia Early Literacy Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.1) requiring the Professional Standards Commission to adopt rules for core curricula at teacher preparation programs.
• Requires those curricula to use state content standards aligned to the science of reading, an evidence-based approach to teaching reading.
• Requires teacher training to include explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative methods for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text comprehension.
• Requires teacher preparation programs to include multisensory and multimodal teaching strategies, along with methods for reaching English language learners and students with disabilities.
• Requires curricula to cover strategies for early identification of a student's reading deficiency and for using technology and distance learning in instruction.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these new requirements.

The bill directly affects the Professional Standards Commission, which must write new rules, and Georgia's state-approved educator preparation programs, which train future teachers. It also indirectly affects prospective teachers going through those programs and, ultimately, the students they will teach.

Because the rules apply to how future teachers are trained rather than directly to classrooms, the practical effect would show up gradually as new teachers enter Georgia schools already trained in a specific, research based approach to reading instruction rather than other reading methods.

• Section 1 adds subsection (d.1) to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.1, directing the Professional Standards Commission to adopt rules setting criteria for core curricula at every state-approved educator preparation program.
• The new subsection requires use of State Board of Education content standards aligned to the science of reading to guide curricula and instruction.
• It requires evidence-based reading standards that are exclusively aligned with the science of reading and use multisensory, multimodal intervention strategies.
• It lists required curriculum components: content literacy and math practices, instruction strategies for English language learners and students with disabilities, differentiated instruction, early identification of reading deficiencies, and use of technology in education.
• Section 2 repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new requirements.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-04-30Act 27
3. 2025-04-30Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-31House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-21House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)Primary sponsor
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2025

   50 yea, 3 nay (3 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #207

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   168 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #346

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #417

• early literacy
• teacher training
• science of reading
• education policy
• reading instruction