---
title: HB 1206. Education; require local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to consider total cost of ownership and related factors when purchasing school technology devices
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1206
cite_as: HB 1206, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1206
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1206.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1206/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72882
date: 2026-03-03
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1205.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 199
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1206.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1206
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-05
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Todd Jones
- Matt Dubnik
- Chris Erwin
- Jan Jones
- Rick Townsend
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1206/2025
upstream_id: 2109965
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school technology
- education funding
- public schools
- government reporting requirements
---
# HB 1206. Education; require local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to consider total cost of ownership and related factors when purchasing school technology devices
## Text
The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 1206:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 19 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to instructional materials and content relative to elementary and secondary education,
so as to require local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to
consider the total cost of ownership and related factors when purchasing school technology
devices; to provide for reports; to provide definitions; 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 19 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
instructional materials and content relative to elementary and secondary education, is
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-1018.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Break/fix rate' means the number of school technology devices reported as
malfunctioning or needing repair prior to the end of the device's life cycle as stated by the
manufacturer due to physical damage, hardware failure, or other breakage incidents
which are not covered by insurance or a policy plan period during a school year divided
by the total number of school technology devices in operation during the same school
year.
(2) 'Department' means the Department of Education.
(3) 'School technology device' or 'device' means electronic or computerized equipment
greater than $100.00 in value provided for educational purposes in a public school,
including, but not limited to, computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards, and
associated hardware, software, and technical equipment.
(b) When purchasing school technology devices, each local board of education and other
public school governing body shall take into consideration the following factors:
(1) The long-term cost of ownership of such devices, including the costs of repairs;
(2) The flexibility for innovation during the life of such devices; and
(3) The anticipated resale or salvage value of such devices compared to the initial
purchase cost of such devices.
(c) Beginning in 2027, no later than October 15 of each year, each local board of education
and other public school governing body shall submit a report to the department which
includes the following information for the respective local school system or public school
for the preceding school year:
(1) The total number of school technology devices in operation;
(2) The break/fix rate of school technology devices;
(3) The total number of school technology devices which required repair and the number
of such devices that underwent repair or were out of service; and
(4) The total amount spent to repair or replace school technology devices.
(d) Beginning in 2027, no later than December 31 each year, the department shall submit
a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Education and the Senate
Education and Youth Committee which shall include the information provided to the
department pursuant to subsection (c) 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.
HB1206 would require Georgia's local school boards and public school governing bodies to weigh long-term costs, repair expenses, and resale value when buying school technology devices, and to report device breakage data to the state each year.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia law does not require school systems to consider the long-term costs of technology devices like laptops and tablets before buying them. HB1206 adds a new section to Georgia's education code directing local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to weigh the total cost of ownership when purchasing devices worth more than $100, including repair costs, flexibility for future upgrades, and expected resale or salvage value compared to the purchase price.
Starting in 2027, school systems would have to report annually to the Department of Education by October 15, covering how many devices they have, their 'break/fix rate' (the share needing repair before their expected lifespan ends), how many were repaired or taken out of service, and how much was spent on repairs or replacements. The Department of Education would then compile this information into a report sent to the Governor, legislative leaders, and education committee chairs by December 31 each year.
### What it does
- Requires local school boards and other public school governing bodies to weigh long-term ownership costs, repair costs, upgrade flexibility, and resale value before buying technology devices.
- Defines 'school technology device' as electronic equipment worth more than $100 used for education, including computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards.
- Creates a formula for a 'break/fix rate' measuring how often devices break or need repair before their expected lifespan ends.
- Requires local school systems to report device counts, break/fix rates, repair numbers, and repair/replacement spending to the Department of Education starting in 2027.
- Requires the Department of Education to compile these local reports into a statewide report sent annually to the Governor and legislative leaders.
### Who it affects
Local boards of education and other public school governing bodies across Georgia, the state Department of Education, and school administrators who purchase and manage classroom technology like computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards used by students and teachers.
### Why it matters
School systems would have to formally weigh repair costs and resale value, not just sticker price, when buying devices, which could shift purchasing decisions toward longer-lasting equipment. The new annual reporting would give state officials a statewide picture of how often school devices break down and how much repairs cost.
### Key provisions
- Adds new Code section 20-2-1018 to Article 19 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, covering instructional materials and content.
- Subsection (a) defines 'break/fix rate,' 'department,' and 'school technology device' (equipment over $100 in value used for education).
- Subsection (b) requires boards to consider long-term ownership costs, upgrade flexibility, and resale or salvage value when purchasing devices.
- Subsection (c) requires local boards to submit annual reports to the Department of Education by October 15 starting in 2027, covering device counts, break/fix rates, repairs, and spending.
- Subsection (d) requires the Department of Education to submit a compiled report to the Governor, legislative leaders, and education committee chairs by December 31 starting in 2027.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-05)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-03)
- Sponsors: Todd Jones, Matt Dubnik, Chris Erwin, Jan Jones, Rick Townsend
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72882
> The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1206.md?full=1