HB419: HB419 Education; require possession of opioid antagonists by institutions within University System of Georgia

The text of this Senate substitute does not match the bill's title. Instead of addressing opioid antagonists at University System of Georgia institutions, it amends Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to change several K-12 education programs. It revises how the Department of Education and the Office of Student Achievement report student attendance data, changes reporting deadlines for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, and makes numerous changes to the Promise Scholarship Account program (Georgia's education savings account system for private school and homeschool expenses). Key changes include tightening private school accreditation and financial reporting rules to participate in the promise scholarship program, adjusting how enrollment history qualifies a student, capping how account funds roll over or get returned to the state, and changing how the Office of Student Achievement compiles and publishes lists of low-performing public schools. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

• Changes state education reporting deadlines, requiring the Office of Student Achievement to submit attendance and special needs scholarship reports on revised annual schedules.
• Tightens accreditation and financial soundness requirements private schools must meet to enroll students under the promise scholarship education savings account program.
• Caps at two years how long a private school pursuing accreditation can keep enrolling promise scholarship students before losing eligibility.
• Changes promise scholarship account funding from quarterly 'payments' to fund 'allocations,' and limits fund rollover to 50 percent of the amount deposited for the current school year.
• Allows the education savings authority to deduct up to 5 percent annually from active accounts to cover administrative costs when state funding falls short.
• Revises the list of public schools excluded from the Office of Student Achievement's annual low-performing schools list and requires the Department of Education to supply a complete school list each October 1.

The bill affects the Department of Education, the Office of Student Achievement, local school boards, private schools participating in Georgia's promise scholarship program, families using education savings accounts, students in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, and legislative committees that receive annual education reports.

Families using promise scholarship accounts would face new limits on rolling over unused funds and could see accounts closed after inactivity. Private schools would face stricter financial and accreditation checks to keep enrolling scholarship students, and lawmakers would receive changed, more detailed reports on attendance and program performance.

• Section 1-1 changes the student attendance and school climate report from Department of Education to Office of Student Achievement, due by July 1 starting in 2027.
• Section 2-1 revises the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship annual report requirements, including new data on medical or behavioral conditions schools can accommodate.
• Section 3-2 revises promise scholarship eligibility, including residency and enrollment requirements and priority rules when funding exceeds demand for income-qualified students.
• Section 3-3 sets private school fiscal soundness and reporting requirements and bars schools from enrolling new participating students if accreditation takes more than two years.
• Section 3-4 changes account fund distribution from 'payments' to 'allocations,' caps rollover at 50 percent of current-year deposits, and closes accounts inactive for eight consecutive quarters.
• Section 3-5 lets the education savings authority deduct up to 5 percent annually from accounts to cover administrative costs when appropriated funds are insufficient.
• Section 3-7 changes which public schools are excluded from the annual low-performing schools list and requires the Department of Education to supply a complete public school list by October 1 each year.
• Section 4-1 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without such approval.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2026-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
4. 2026-03-25Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted (Senate)
5. 2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2026-02-18House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2026-02-18House Third Readers (House)
8. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
• Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 18, 2026

   163 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 9 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #530

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• school choice
• education savings accounts
• promise scholarship program
• student attendance reporting
• special needs scholarship