HB235: HB235 Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act; enact

Currently Georgia law does not guarantee public school teachers, public school employees, or postsecondary employees paid time off specifically for donating bone marrow or organs. This bill, called the Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act, adds a new section to Georgia's education code (O.C.G.A. Title 20) requiring these employers to provide such leave without loss of pay. Public school teachers and employees would get up to seven days of paid leave for bone marrow donation and up to 30 days for organ donation, and this time would count toward retirement or pension service and would not be deducted from sick or annual leave. Postsecondary employees at the University System of Georgia or Technical College System of Georgia get the same day limits, though without the retirement service credit. Employees must give their employer a doctor's or hospital administrator's statement confirming the donation at least seven days before the leave begins. The new leave requirement cannot be waived by strategic waivers school systems, local boards of education, or charter systems.

• Creates a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-1-12) guaranteeing paid leave for bone marrow and organ donation to public school teachers, public school employees, and postsecondary employees.
• Sets leave limits at up to 7 days for bone marrow donation and up to 30 days for organ donation, without loss of pay.
• Specifies that for public school teachers and employees, this leave does not count against sick or annual leave and counts as service time for retirement or pension benefits.
• Requires employees to submit a doctor's or hospital administrator's statement confirming the donation at least 7 days before taking the leave.
• Blocks local school systems, charter systems, and strategic waivers school systems from waiving this leave requirement.

Public school teachers and other public school employees, employees of the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia (excluding emergency or temporary workers), local school districts and charter systems that manage staff leave policies, and doctors or hospital administrators who must confirm donation procedures.

Employees who want to donate bone marrow or an organ would no longer have to use up their own sick or vacation days or risk losing pay to do so, which could remove a financial barrier that might otherwise discourage living donation among Georgia's education workforce.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Georgia Supporting Living Donor Educators Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-1-12, defining 'organ,' 'public school employee,' 'public school teacher,' and 'postsecondary employee' for purposes of the leave requirement.
• Subsection (b) grants public school teachers and employees up to 7 days of paid leave for bone marrow donation and up to 30 days for organ donation, counted as retirement service.
• Subsection (c) grants postsecondary employees the same 7 and 30 day leave allowances without the retirement service credit.
• Subsection (d) requires a medical or hospital statement confirming the donation, submitted at least 7 days before the leave.
• Subsection (e) exempts this leave requirement from existing waiver provisions for strategic waivers school systems, local boards of education, and charter systems.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-28Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-04-28Act 14
3. 2025-04-28House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-09House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-04Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-04-04Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
8. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)

• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)Primary sponsor
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)
• Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   173 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #168

2. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   54 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #459

• organ donation
• bone marrow donation
• teacher benefits
• paid leave
• education employment law