HB 1164: Education; require State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee

In plain language

What the bill does

Who it affects

Why it matters

Key provisions

From the bill

Discussed in meetings (15)

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.

1. House Education Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:38:22 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1164 would establish statewide financial monitoring, annual audit-readiness certifications, public financial reporting, and four levels of fiscal risk for school systems. The sponsor described a standing State Board of Education audit committee meeting at least six times yearly, possible limits on district waivers and superintendent contract extensions in distressed systems, and submission of third-party audits to the Department of Audits and Accounts. The sponsor said the substitute added nonvoting representatives from that department and the State Charter Schools Commission to the audit committee. One member worried that broad investigation language could trigger punitive reviews based on rumors. The sponsor said auditors would follow an evidence-based process and consider records resolving allegations. Other members asked about safety funding, outside audit firms, and existing audit requirements. The sponsor said audits would cover safety funds, firms would have to meet state standards rather than appear on an approved list, and districts already faced annual audits but did not always submit them for state review. The sponsor described implementation beginning July 1 and extending into 2028–29. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote.

2. House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 1:15:39 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1580

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1164 would require the State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee and improve communication among state agencies and local school boards to identify financial problems sooner. A member questioned whether it would let state officials override local agreements. The sponsor described four levels of financial condition and said state corrective action would address the most critical level, rather than amount to a takeover. The member also questioned a 12-month superintendent contract limit, arguing it could deter turnaround experts. The sponsor said the restriction targeted a superintendent responsible for the problems and would not apply to a new superintendent who had not caused them. Asked whether withholding advance funding would worsen a district's financial emergency, the sponsor said withholding would be optional and depend on circumstances. No scheduling decision was shown.

3. House floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24)

   From 5:30:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Postponed)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair announced that consideration of HB 1164 was postponed until the next legislative day. No substantive discussion or vote was shown.

4. House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 0:21:11 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1580

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A motion and second were made to add HB 1164 to the supplemental calendar under modified structure. A committee member objected. After a voice vote with both ayes and noes, the chair declared the motion passed. No vote count or discussion of the bill's provisions was given.

5. House floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25, AM)

   From 2:17:08 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1630

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1164 would create a State Board of Education audit committee, require annual audit certifications and corrective plans, and establish escalating monitoring of financially troubled school systems and charter schools. The sponsor said 41 systems were out of compliance with audit requirements and described a gap in requiring outside audit firms to submit reports to the state. One member questioned state authority over local agreements, 12-month superintendent contracts and school board association support. The sponsor said intervention would address severe financial risk, said a newly hired superintendent not responsible for the problems would be exempt from the contract limit, and reported no association objections, but did not establish formal endorsement. Another member asked about poor accounting despite adequate funding. The sponsor described corrective plans and increased oversight if problems persist. A further member asked whether class-size waivers could be removed. The sponsor said that could occur at the highest risk level but was not required. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed it, 103 to 68.

6. Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 10, 2026

   From 0:32:00 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute for HB 1164, saying 41 school systems had audit concerns or compliance problems and the state needed clearer ways to assess their seriousness. The sponsor said the bill would restore the State Board of Education's audit committee, require at least six meetings annually, establish four financial risk levels, and require annual certifications and public financial reporting. The sponsor described corrective action plans, mandatory audits for high-risk systems, investigations and possible removal of waivers tied to audit findings. The sponsor said a one-year contract limit would apply to the superintendent serving when the financial distress occurred, not a newly hired replacement. Outside accounting firms could continue conducting audits, but school systems would have to submit those audits for state review. Asked by the chair about payments more than 120 days overdue, the sponsor said required notices would go to state leaders and be posted publicly. The sponsor said outside audits had sometimes not reached state auditors and described the bill as an effort to catch problems before they became serious. The committee approved the bill, and the chair described both bill votes as unanimous.

7. Senate Rules Committee, March 18, 2026

   From 0:22:03 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair called up HB 1164 during a review of remaining measures and referred to an earlier hearing, but did not explain its provisions. No calendar action followed.

8. Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026

   From 0:32:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member initially requested the bill and described it as concerning Dublin City Schools. Later, another member selected it for the calendar, saying it would improve local school boards’ financial accountability and transparency and was particularly important to that member’s district. The committee unanimously approved the floor calendar containing the bill.

9. Senate floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36)

   From 4:50:24 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1164 would strengthen financial oversight of local school systems and state charter schools to catch financial problems earlier and protect classroom funding. The presenter described a State Board of Education audit committee meeting at least six times yearly, annual audits and a December 31 audit-readiness certification. According to the presenter, school leaders would also certify timely health-plan, retirement and Department of Labor payments, responding to a school system that had missed 14 health-plan payments. The presenter said repeated irregularities would trigger risk designations, with high-risk systems requiring audits by the state auditor. The presenter described responses within 60 days, board-approved corrective plans within 120 days, monthly spending reviews and public financial notices. The presenter also outlined expanded investigative authority and possible changes to school flexibility agreements, and said the bill would take effect July 1, 2026. No questions or opposing speeches followed. The Senate passed the bill 49-2.

• Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:18:01
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 5, 2026 (legislative day 13), 0:43:45
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:47:09
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26), 0:28:02
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 12, 2026 (legislative day 31), 0:25:37
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 16, 2026 (legislative day 32), 0:30:04

Status timeline

Sponsors

Votes

Topics