---
title: HB 1062. Education, Department of; publish relevant and applicable federal guidance documents and related information; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1062
cite_as: HB 1062, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1062
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1062.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1062/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72513
date: 2026-02-02
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1062.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1062
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-28
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Carmen Rice
- Scott Hilton
- Mike Cheokas
- Bethany Ballard
- Lydia Glaize
- Brent Cox
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1062/2025
upstream_id: 2100556
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- education policy
- government transparency
- federal guidance
- Department of Education
- legislative oversight
---
# HB 1062. Education, Department of; publish relevant and applicable federal guidance documents and related information; require
## Text
House Bill 1062
By: Representatives Rice of the 139th, Hilton of the 48th, Cheokas of the 151st, Ballard of the
147th, Glaize of the 67th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the State School Superintendent, so as to require the Department of Education to
publish relevant and applicable federal guidance documents and related information; to
provide for definitions; to provide for construction; to require annual notice from the State
School Superintendent to designated committees and offices of the General Assembly and
the Office of Planning and Budget; to authorize the State Board of Education to adopt rules;
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
State School Superintendent, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-37.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Federal agency' means the United States Department of Education or its successor
or any other agency, as such term is defined in 44 U.S.C. Section 3502.
(2) 'Guidance document' means any statement of general applicability issued by a federal
agency or by an official of such federal agency that sets forth a policy on a statutory,
regulatory, or technical issue or an interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue;
provided, however, that such term shall not include a rule or other regulatory action that
has the force and effect of law promulgated in accordance with the notice and comment
rule-making requirements of the federal Administrative Procedure Act. Such term shall
include, but shall not be limited to, advisories, announcements, bulletins, circulars,
directives, letters, manuals, memoranda, notices, policy statements, and media, news, and
press releases. Such term shall encompass all guidance materials, regardless of format,
and shall include, but shall not be limited to, audio files and recordings; documents in
digital, electronic, or hard copy format; video files and recordings; internet posts; and
software applications. Such term shall be construed broadly to effectuate the purpose and
intent of this Code section.
(b)(1) Within 15 calendar days of receiving a guidance document from a federal agency
which the State School Superintendent or Department of Education deems relevant and
applicable to the duties, responsibilities, or business of the Department of Education, the
State Board of Education, or the State School Superintendent, the Department of
Education shall publish such guidance document in accordance with the requirements of
subsection (c) of this Code section.
(2) Within 45 calendar days of receiving a guidance document provided for in
paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Department of Education shall include on the
dedicated web page provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section a written response
to such guidance document that includes, at a minimum:
(A) Each federal or state statute, regulation, or rule that is addressed either expressly
or by reasonable implication, interpretation, or application in such guidance document;
(B) A description of how such guidance document will be implemented; and
(C) Whether the State School Superintendent or the Department of Education has
communicated to the relevant federal agency any objection or exception to such
guidance document in whole or in part.
(3) Within 15 calendar days of a guidance document provided for in paragraph (1) of this
subsection being rescinded, the Department of Education shall:
(A) Clearly indicate on the dedicated web page provided for in subsection (c) of this
Code section that such guidance document has been rescinded; and
(B) Add the rescinded guidance document along with the date such guidance document
was rescinded to a separate and clearly identifiable list of rescinded guidance
documents to be maintained on the dedicated web page provided for in subsection (c)
of this Code section.
(c) All guidance documents and rescinded guidance documents which are required to be
published by the Department of Education under subsection (b) of this Code section shall
be published on a dedicated web page on the Department of Education's website that is
clearly identifiable, readily searchable using the search tool included on such website, and
accessible via a link that is included on the home page of such website.
(d) Annually by August 1, the State School Superintendent shall provide in writing the
following information to the chairpersons of the House Committee on Education, the
Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House Committee on Higher Education, the
Senate Higher Education Committee, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the
Senate Appropriations Committee; to the Office of Legislative Counsel; and to the
directors of the Office of Planning and Budget, the House Budget and Research Office, and
the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office:
(1) The Department of Education's website address and the link to the dedicated web
page provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section;
(2) A complete list of guidance documents and rescinded guidance documents that are
currently published on the dedicated web page provided for in subsection (c) of this Code
section;
(3) A complete copy of the written responses provided for in paragraph (2) of
subsection (b) of this Code section; and
(4) A complete copy of each rule adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to
subsection (e) of this Code section.
(e) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to adopt rules as necessary to
implement the requirements of this Code section."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1062 would require the Georgia Department of Education to publish federal guidance documents it receives on a dedicated webpage and report annually to legislative committees about them.
### Plain-language summary
Currently there is no state law requiring the Department of Education to publicly track or respond to guidance documents it receives from federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Education. House Bill 1062 would add a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-37) creating that requirement.
Under the bill, whenever the department gets a guidance document it considers relevant, it must post it on a dedicated, searchable webpage within 15 days, and within 45 days post a written response explaining which laws the guidance touches, how it will be implemented, and whether the state raised any objections with the federal agency. If a guidance document is later rescinded, the department must note that within 15 days. Each year by August 1, the State School Superintendent must send a written report on all this to several legislative committees and budget offices. The State Board of Education may adopt rules to carry out the law.
### What it does
- Creates a new requirement (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-37) for the Department of Education to publish relevant federal guidance documents on a dedicated, searchable webpage within 15 days of receiving them.
- Requires a written response within 45 days explaining which statutes or rules the guidance addresses, how it will be implemented, and whether the state objected to it.
- Requires the department to flag and log any rescinded guidance documents within 15 days on the same webpage.
- Requires the State School Superintendent to send an annual written report by August 1 to House and Senate education, higher education, and appropriations committees, the Office of Legislative Counsel, and state budget offices.
- Authorizes the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement these requirements.
- Defines 'federal agency' and 'guidance document' broadly, covering formats from memos and press releases to digital files and software applications.
### Who it affects
The Department of Education and the State School Superintendent, who must track and publish federal guidance; the State Board of Education, which can write implementing rules; and General Assembly committees and state budget offices, which receive the annual reports. Indirectly, this affects schools and the public who rely on transparency about federal education guidance.
### Why it matters
Georgians, school administrators, and lawmakers would gain a public, searchable record of federal education guidance and how the state responds to it, including any objections raised. This creates more visibility into how federal policy shapes Georgia's education system without changing existing education programs themselves.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 20-2-37 defining 'federal agency' and 'guidance document' broadly, including memos, bulletins, press releases, and digital or audio files.
- Subsection (b) requires publication of relevant guidance documents within 15 days and a written response within 45 days covering affected laws, implementation plans, and any objections raised with the federal agency.
- Subsection (b)(3) requires marking rescinded guidance documents within 15 days and keeping a separate list of them.
- Subsection (c) requires all documents to appear on a dedicated, easily searchable webpage linked from the Department of Education's homepage.
- Subsection (d) requires an annual written report by August 1 to specified legislative committees, the Office of Legislative Counsel, and budget offices, including the webpage link, document lists, and written responses.
- Subsection (e) authorizes the State Board of Education to adopt implementing rules.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-28)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-02)
- Sponsors: Carmen Rice, Scott Hilton, Mike Cheokas, Bethany Ballard, Lydia Glaize, Brent Cox
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72513
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1062.md?full=1