SB128: SB128 Quality Basic Education Act; grants to eligible local units of administration for students living in poverty; provide

25 LC 61 0103 Senate Bill 128 By: Senators Esteves of the 35th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st, Parent of the 44th, Halpern of the 39th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide for grants to eligible local2 units of administration for students living in poverty; to provide for definitions; to provide3 for the calculation of grant amounts; to provide that a minimum required portion of grant4 funds be used by local units of administration for direct program expenditures for the benefit5 of students living in poverty; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and6 for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the10 "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended in Part 5, relating t o program weights and11 funding requirements, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:12 "20-2-192.13 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:14 S. B. 128 - 1 - 25 LC 61 0103 (1) 'Student in foster care' means a student enrolled in a public school who is placed in15 a foster family home, child care institution, or another substi tute care setting approved16 by the Department of Human Services or Division of Family and Children Services.17 (2) 'Student living in poverty' means a student enrolled in a public school who meets one18 or more of the following criteria:19 (A) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Supplemental Nutrition20 Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;21 (B) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Temporary Assistance for22 Needy Families (TANF) benefits;23 (C) Is a student in foster care; or24 (D) Is a student without stable housing.25 (3) 'Student without stable housing' means a student enrolled in a public school who26 meets the definition of the term 'homeless children and youths' under the federal27 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. Section 11301, et seq.,28 in force and effect as of January 1, 2025.29 (b) The State Board of Education shall provide grants to eligi ble local units of30 administration for the purpose of supplementing services and instruction to students living31 in poverty, subject to appropriations by the General Assembly. Such grants shall be32 provided beyond those funds to which local units of administration otherwise are entitled33 to by the provisions of this article and other statutes. The State Board of Education shall34 establish the manner by which a local unit of administration sh all demonstrate that it is35 eligible to receive a grant under this Code section.36 (c) The Department of Education shall calculate the grant amount for each eligible local37 unit of administration to be used under this Code section by multiplying the total number38 of students living in poverty who are enrolled in such eligible local unit of administration39 as of the date of the initial enrollment count each year as set forth in Code Section 20-2-16040 by an amount equal to 25 percent of the base amount calculated as set forth in Code Section41 S. B. 128 - 2 - 25 LC 61 0103 20-2-161. At least 90 percent of the grant funds received by a n eligible local unit of42 administration under this Code section shall be used for direct program expenditures for43 the benefit of students living in poverty for which the grant i s provided under this Code44 section. Any portion of that 90 percent not so expended shall be returned to the State45 Board of Education."46 SECTION 2.47 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.48 S. B. 128 - 3 -