Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1064: Education; standardized college admissions tests to include Classic Learning Test (CLT); revise provisions
Last action February 2, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House bill would add the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside the SAT and ACT throughout state education law, affecting school accountability measures, test prep courses, dual enrollment eligibility, and HOPE and Zell Miller scholarship qualifications.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently Georgia law recognizes the SAT and ACT in several places, such as school accountability metrics, test-prep elective courses, dual enrollment rules for high schoolers, and HOPE and Zell Miller scholarship eligibility. This bill amends multiple sections of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to add the Classic Learning Test (CLT), and in some cases the CLT10, as an equally valid option wherever the SAT or ACT is currently referenced. The changes touch school accountability contracts (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-84), the goals of the Quality Basic Education Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-132), test-prep elective courses (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-146), dual enrollment eligibility (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3), classroom expenditure waivers (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-171), home study student testing access (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-324.9), and Zell Miller and HOPE scholarship eligibility (O.C.G.A. §§ 20-3-519 and 20-3-519.2). The Georgia Student Finance Commission would need to set CLT score equivalents to SAT and ACT scores. The bill would take effect July 1, 2026, applying to school years and academic years starting in 2026-2027.
What the bill does
- Adds the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an accepted standardized test alongside the SAT and ACT in Georgia's school accountability contracts and Quality Basic Education Act goals.
- Allows schools to offer CLT preparatory courses for elective credit in the same way SAT and ACT prep courses currently qualify.
- Makes CLT scores usable to satisfy dual enrollment eligibility requirements for certain high school students.
- Adds CLT and CLT10 to the list of tests local school systems must make available to home study students, alongside the SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT, PreACT, and ASVAB.
- Requires the Georgia Student Finance Commission to determine equivalent CLT scores for Zell Miller Scholar and HOPE scholarship eligibility using concordance tables.
- Sets the law to take effect July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school and academic years.
Who it affects
Georgia public school students, especially high schoolers taking college admissions tests; local school boards and districts managing test-prep courses and accountability contracts; home study (homeschool) students seeking access to standardized tests; and college-bound students applying for HOPE or Zell Miller scholarships through the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
Why it matters
Students who take the Classic Learning Test instead of the SAT or ACT would be able to use those scores for school accountability measures, dual enrollment, and HOPE and Zell Miller scholarship eligibility, potentially widening testing options for college-bound Georgia students without changing scholarship award amounts or academic requirements otherwise.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds CLT to the SAT and ACT performance measure used in school accountability contracts under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-84.
- Section 2 adds CLT to the test-score goal listed among the Quality Basic Education Act's primary goals under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-132.
- Section 3 expands the SAT preparatory elective course under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-146 to cover SAT, ACT, or CLT prep.
- Section 4 allows a qualifying CLT score to satisfy dual enrollment eligibility for tenth graders under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3.
- Section 6 requires school systems offering the SAT, ACT, PreACT, or PSAT/NMSQT to home study students to also offer CLT and CLT10 under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-324.9.
- Section 7 directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission to set CLT score equivalents to SAT and ACT scores for Zell Miller Scholar eligibility under O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.
- Section 8 adds CLT to the standardized tests accepted for certain HOPE scholarship eligibility pathways under O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.2.
- Section 9 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying to school and academic years starting in 2026-2027.
From the bill
“Each local school system that offers the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, CLT, CLT10, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or an advanced placement exam to students enrolled in such local school system shall”
Discussed in meetings (5)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Higher Education Committee, February 4, 2026
From 0:16:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1064 would recognize CLT alongside SAT and ACT for school accountability, test preparation, dual enrollment, homeschool testing access and HOPE and Zell Miller scholarship provisions, without replacing existing tests. The chair said admissions decisions remain with the Board of Regents. One member questioned why the proposed Zell Miller threshold was 86 when CLT’s website described scores above 90 as highly competitive. Another asked about school preparation and independent validation. Those questions were not fully answered. A third questioned favoring a for-profit company in state law; the sponsor said adding an option would expand choice. CLT’s policy director said more than 330 colleges accepted the test and five states used it for similar scholarships. An ACT witness said CLT lacked an equivalent to ACT and SAT’s jointly developed score-comparison table and warned about scholarship costs and readiness. A College Board witness raised concerns about predictive research, rigor, score comparisons and security. A classical Christian school leader in Augusta said CLT saved instructional time and matched the curriculum. Rivendell Academy’s head argued it could help retain students in Georgia; Oakhill Classical School’s head emphasized curriculum alignment and scholarship access. No amendment or vote occurred. The chair announced another hearing the following Wednesday, with testimony reopened.
House Higher Education Committee, February 11, 2026
From 1:14:11 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1064 would recognize the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside SAT and ACT, aligning scholarship policy with the Board of Regents' recent admissions decision, which excluded the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. The sponsor said a CLT score of 86 corresponded to a 1230 SAT score. Members questioned test rigor, supporting research, score comparisons and financial effects. A CLT representative said four independent researchers developed its score-comparison study and university systems had accepted it. The representative attributed the two universities' exclusion to missing data needed for their admissions formula. A Front Line Policy Council witness supported another testing option, particularly for classically educated students. ACT and SAT witnesses questioned comparability and evidence of college readiness. The ACT witness also raised concerns about cheating safeguards, school-funding effects and scholarship costs. The CLT representative disputed those claims, defended the test's rigor and said Florida scholarship participation had not meaningfully increased after adoption. Members requested college-completion data by test score and review of inconsistent scoring language. The chair encouraged joint research among testing organizations, said current HOPE funding reduced the urgency, and sought more evidence about the proposed score threshold. No vote was taken.
House Higher Education Committee, April 1, 2026
From 0:41:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair revisited HB 1064, describing it as a proposal concerning the Classic Learning Test that the committee had lacked enough information to address earlier in the year. The chair announced that the vice chair would lead work between sessions with testing organizations and other providers to develop a comparison or common framework rather than rely on test brand names. The chair invited several members to participate and said the aim was to bring a proposal back to the sponsor for action next year. A member volunteered to help. No vote was taken.
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
- Matthew Gambill (R, HD-15)
- Chuck Martin (R, HD-49)
- Carter Barrett (R, HD-24)
- Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
- Lauren McDonald III (R, HD-26)
Topics
- standardized testing
- college admissions
- HOPE scholarship
- Zell Miller scholarship
- K-12 education policy