Georgia CommonsHB 1218: Georgia Virtual Public School Student Athletic Participation Act; enact
Last action February 20, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
House Bill 1218 would let Georgia students enrolled full-time in certain virtual public schools try out for and play sports and other extracurricular activities at their local resident public school, similar to rules already in place for home study students.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia already lets home study students participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities, such as sports, band, and clubs, at their resident public school under the 'Dexter Mosely Act' (O.C.G.A. 20-2-319.6). This bill renames the effort the 'Georgia Virtual Public School Student Athletic Participation Act' and extends similar eligibility to students in grades six through 12 who attend a 'qualifying virtual school,' meaning a fully virtual public school that does not itself offer the athletic or interscholastic program the student wants to join. To participate, a virtual school student's parent or guardian must notify the resident school at least 30 days before the semester begins, submit report cards and proof of passing grades, and the student must meet the same conduct, tryout, and eligibility rules as other students. Students who withdraw from a public school to enroll in virtual school become ineligible for extracurricular activities for 12 months. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies starting with the 2027-2028 school year.
What the bill does
- Creates a new category of 'virtual school student' and 'qualifying virtual school' and makes such students eligible to try out for extracurricular and interscholastic activities at their resident public school.
- Requires parents to give the resident school 30 days' written notice before a semester, along with report cards and proof the student is passing and meets eligibility rules.
- Requires virtual school students to follow the same code of conduct, tryout process, and transportation rules as other students at the resident school.
- Bars resident schools, school systems, or athletic associations from denying eligible virtual school students the chance to try out and participate.
- Makes a student who withdraws from public school to enroll in a qualifying virtual school ineligible for extracurricular activities for 12 months from enrollment.
- Renames the underlying law the 'Georgia Virtual Public School Student Athletic Participation Act' while keeping the existing 'Dexter Mosely Act' short title for the home study provisions.
Who it affects
Students in grades six through 12 enrolled full-time in fully virtual Georgia public schools, their parents and guardians, resident public schools and school systems that would host these students in activities, and athletic associations that sanction interscholastic competitions.
Why it matters
Virtual school students in Georgia currently have no explicit legal path to join sports, band, clubs, or other activities at their local public school. This bill would give them that access under the same eligibility and conduct rules as home study students, potentially expanding participation opportunities for students who attend school entirely online.
Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the overall Act the short title 'Georgia Virtual Public School Student Athletic Participation Act.'
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. 20-2-319.6 to add definitions for 'qualifying virtual school' and 'virtual school student,' and adds new subsection (c.1) setting participation requirements for virtual school students.
- New subsection (c.1) requires 30 days' advance written notice, a recent report card, and proof of passing grades and eligibility before a virtual school student may participate.
- New subsection (d) language makes withdrawing from public school to enroll in a qualifying virtual school trigger a 12-month ineligibility period for extracurricular activities.
- Subsections (f) and (g) are amended to prevent resident schools, school systems, or athletic associations from denying qualifying virtual school students the chance to try out and compete.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2027-2028 school year.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“'Qualifying virtual school' means a public school in this state that provides solely virtual instruction and that does not offer to students enrolled in grades six through 12 one or more school sponsored interscholastic athletic programs or other school sponsored programs that are sanctioned or supported by a state-wide interscholastic activities governing body.”
“A student who withdraws from a public school to participate in a home study program or enroll in a qualifying virtual school shall be ineligible for participation in any extracurricular or interscholastic activity for 12 months”
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Robert Flournoy (D, HD-074)
- Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
- Yasmin Neal (D, HD-079)
- Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
- Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
- Tangie Herring (D, HD-145)
Topics
- virtual schools
- school sports eligibility
- extracurricular activities
- education law
- student athletes