SB325: SB325 Education; local school systems and public schools to employ or accept as volunteers school chaplains; authorize

25 LC 49 2108 Senate Bill 325 By: Senators Harbin of the 16th, Burns of the 23rd, Albers of t he 56th, Gooch of the 51st, Robertson of the 29th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 20-2-182 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 program weights to reflect funds for payment of salaries and benefits, maximum class size,2 reporting requirements, and application to specific school year s, so as to authorize local3 school systems and public schools to employ or accept as volunt eers school chaplains; to4 provide that school chaplains shall provide support, services, and programs for students as5 assigned; to authorize school chaplains to be employed or accepted as volunteers in addition6 to or in lieu of school counselor s and to authorize school chap lains to perform duties of7 school counselors; to provide that school chaplains need not be certificated professional8 personnel; to require local boards of education to vote in publ ic on whether to authorize9 school chaplains; to amend Code Section 19-15-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,10 relating to definitions concerning child abuse, so as to includ e school chaplains in the11 definition of "child protection professional"; to amend Code Section 49-5-41 of the Official12 Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to persons and agencies permitted access to records, so13 as to authorize school chaplains to review records of reports of child abuse; to provide for14 related matters; to provide for a short title; to provide for a n effective date; to repeal15 conflicting laws; and for other purposes.16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:17 S. B. 325 - 1 - 25 LC 49 2108 SECTION 1.18 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "School Chaplains Act."19 SECTION 2.20 Code Section 19-15-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions21 concerning child abuse, is amended by revising paragraph (5) as follows:22 "(5) 'Child protection professional' means any person who is employed by the state or a23 political subdivision of the state as a law enforcement officer , school teacher, school24 administrator, or school counselor, or school chaplain or who is employed to render25 services to children by the Department of Public Health, the Department of Behavioral26 Health and Developmental Disabilities, or the Department of Hum an Services or any27 county board of health, community service board, or county depa rtment of family and28 children services."29 SECTION 3.30 Code Section 20-2-182 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to program31 weights to reflect funds for payment of salaries and benefits, maximum class size, reporting32 requirements, and application to specific school years, is amended by revising subsection (c)33 as follows:34 "(c)(1) The program weights for the kindergarten, kindergarten early intervention,35 primary, primary grades early intervention, upper elementary, upper elementary grades36 early intervention, middle school, and alternative education programs and the program37 weights for the high school programs authorized pursuant to par agraph (4) of38 subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-151, when multiplied by the base amount, shall39 reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries for at least one school counselor for40 every 450 full-time equivalent students. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015 and thereafter,41 the program weights for the English for speakers of other langu ages program and the42 S. B. 325 - 2 - 25 LC 49 2108 programs for persons with disabilities shall also earn school counselor funding. Further,43 beginning in Fiscal Year 2016 and thereafter, the program weights for the program for44 intellectually gifted students and the remedial education program shall also earn school45 counselor funding. The duties and responsibilities for such school counselors shall be46 established by the state board to require a minimum of five of the six full-time equivalent47 program count segments of the counselor's time to be spent coun seling or advising48 students or parents.49 (2)(A) Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (1) of this subsection or any other50 law to the contrary, a local school system or public school sha ll be authorized to51 employ or accept as a volunteer a school chaplain to provide su pport, services, and52 programs for students as assigned by the local school superintendent or the local board53 of education or other public school governing body. In addition to employing school54 counselors to perform the duties of school counselors, local school systems and public55 schools may employ school chaplains to perform the duties requi red of a school56 counselor under this chapter and as provided for in paragraph ( 5) of Code Section57 19-15-1 and Code Section 49-5-41. A school chaplain employed o r accepted as a58 volunteer under this subsection is not required to be a certifi cated professional59 personnel or otherwise subject to any rule or regulation of the Professional Standards60 Commission.61 (B) No later than December 31, 2025, each local board of educa tion or other public62 school governing body shall vote in public on whether to adopt a policy authorizing the63 employment of school chaplains."64 SECTION 4.65 Code Section 49-5-41 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to persons and66 agencies permitted access to records, is amended by revising paragraph (10) of subsection67 (c) as follows:68 S. B. 325 - 3 - 25 LC 49 2108 "(10) Any school principal, or any school guidance counselor, school social worker, or69 school psychologist who is certified under Chapter 2 of Title 20, or school chaplain and70 who is counseling a student as a part of such counseling person 's school employment71 duties, but those records shall remain confidential and information obtained therefrom by72 that such counseling person may not be disclosed to any person, except that such student,73 not authorized under this Code section to obtain those records, and such unauthorized74 disclosure shall be punishable as a misdemeanor;"75 SECTION 5.76 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law77 without such approval.78 SECTION 6.79 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.80 S. B. 325 - 4 -