SB154: SB154 United States Department of Education; references from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated; revise or remove

Many Georgia laws in the areas of education, law enforcement training, and professional licensing mention the United States Department of Education by name, for example in laws about teacher certification, nursing licenses, counselor licensing, and student loan programs. This bill adds the phrase "or its successor" (and in some cases ", or its successor,") after those references in about twenty different Georgia Code sections, so the laws keep working even if that federal agency is renamed or replaced. The bill also updates a foster care tuition waiver law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-660) by replacing an outdated reference to a student's "Student Aid Report" with the newer "FAFSA submission summary," matching current federal financial aid terminology. Most of the bill takes effect immediately upon the Governor's signature, but the sections adding "or its successor" language only become active if Congress actually abolishes the U.S. Department of Education.

• Inserts ", or its successor," or "or its successor" after references to the U.S. Department of Education in roughly twenty Georgia Code sections covering education, law enforcement training, and professional licensing.
• Updates the foster and adopted youth tuition waiver law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-660) to reference the FAFSA submission summary instead of the outdated Student Aid Report term.
• Makes the sections adding successor-agency language (Sections 1 and 2) take effect only if Congress passes a law abolishing the U.S. Department of Education.
• Makes the FAFSA terminology update (Section 3) and the repeal of conflicting laws effective immediately upon the Governor's signature.

The bill mainly affects state agencies and professionals whose licensing laws reference the U.S. Department of Education, including counselors, social workers, dental hygienists, massage therapists, optometrists, nurses, and industrial hygienists, as well as teachers, peace officer trainees, and foster or adopted students using the tuition waiver program.

If Congress ever abolishes the U.S. Department of Education, Georgia's licensing and education laws would automatically continue to function by pointing to whatever agency takes its place, avoiding gaps in professional licensing and student aid rules. The FAFSA terminology fix takes effect now regardless of that contingency.

• Section 1 adds ", or its successor," after U.S. Department of Education references in ten Code sections, including laws on peace officer certification and licensing for counselors, dental hygienists, and massage therapists.
• Section 2 adds "or its successor" after similar references in eleven more Code sections covering teacher certification, student loan programs, and nursing and industrial hygiene licensing.
• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-3-660(d) to reference the "FAFSA submission summary" instead of the "Student Aid Report" for the foster and adopted youth tuition waiver program.
• Section 4 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature, but limits Sections 1 and 2 to taking effect only if Congress abolishes the U.S. Department of Education.
• Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-05-14
2. 2025-05-14Act 291
3. 2025-05-14Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-21House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)

1. FailedSenate voteMarch 4, 2025

   21 yea, 32 nay (1 not voting, 2 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 14th: Senate Vote #155

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2025

   37 yea, 17 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #156

3. PassedHouse voteMarch 21, 2025

   144 yea, 15 nay (7 not voting, 14 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #294

4. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   44 yea, 8 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #363

• education law
• professional licensing
• student financial aid
• peace officer training
• federal-state law references