--- title: HB 1239. Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1239 cite_as: HB 1239, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1239 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1239.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1239/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72960 date: 2026-02-10 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1238.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1240.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1239.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1239 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-06 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Bryce Berry - David Wilkerson - Akbar Ali - Jasmine Clark - Karen Lupton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1239/2025 upstream_id: 2111504 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - student attendance policy - civic engagement - protests and free speech - school policy - K-12 education --- # HB 1239. Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act; enact ## Text House Bill 1239 By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, Wilkerson of the 38th, Ali of the 106th, Clark of the 108th, and Lupton of the 83rd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance relative to elementary and secondary school students, so as to require the local governing body for each school system and public school to adopt a policy providing that students shall be granted not less than two excused absences per school year for attending or participating in a civic or political event; to require the State Board of Education to develop a model policy; to provide a definition; to provide a short title; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act." SECTION 2. Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance relative to elementary and secondary school students, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "20-2-692.5. (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'civic or political event' means a strike, public comment, candidate speech, political or civil forum, town hall, protest, or similar event. (b) The local governing body of each local school system and public school shall adopt a policy providing that a student shall be granted not less than two excused absences per school year for attending or participating in a civic or political event. Such policy shall provide for: (1) Notification by the parent or guardian of a student, or the student if he or she is 18 years of age or older or is an emancipated minor, to the local school system or public school that such student will be absent due to attendance at or participation in a civic or political event, which shall be provided not less than one school day prior to the absence; and (2) Documentation of absences excused in accordance with this Code section. (c) The State Board of Education shall develop a model policy for use by local school systems and public schools in accordance with this Code section." SECTION 3. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, and shall apply beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. SECTION 4. 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. A Georgia House bill would require public schools to excuse students for at least two absences per year to attend protests, town halls, candidate speeches, or other civic and political events. ### Plain-language summary Currently Georgia law does not guarantee students an excused absence for attending civic or political activities like protests or town halls. This bill, called the Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act, would add a new section to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. ยง 20-2-692.5) requiring every local school system and public school to adopt a policy granting students at least two excused absences per school year for attending or taking part in a 'civic or political event.' That term is defined broadly to include strikes, public comment sessions, candidate speeches, political or civil forums, town halls, protests, or similar events. Parents or guardians (or students who are 18 or emancipated) would have to notify the school at least one school day before the absence, and schools would need to document these excused absences. The State Board of Education would develop a model policy schools can use. The law would take effect July 1, 2026, starting with the 2026-2027 school year. ### What it does - Adds a new Georgia code section requiring local school systems and public schools to excuse at least two student absences per year for civic or political events. - Defines 'civic or political event' broadly to include strikes, public comment, candidate speeches, forums, town halls, and protests. - Requires advance notice from a parent, guardian, or eligible student at least one school day before the absence. - Requires schools to document these excused absences under the new policy. - Directs the State Board of Education to create a model policy for local school systems to use. - Sets the law to take effect July 1, 2026, starting with the 2026-2027 school year. ### Who it affects K-12 public school students and their parents or guardians, local school boards and school administrators who must write and enforce the new attendance policy, and the State Board of Education, which must draft a model policy for districts to follow. ### Why it matters Students who want to attend a protest, town hall, or candidate event would have a guaranteed excused absence rather than facing potential truancy consequences, as long as they give a day's notice. School staff would need new procedures to track and document these absences. ### Key provisions - Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act.' - Section 2 adds new Code section 20-2-692.5, defining 'civic or political event' and requiring schools to grant at least two excused absences per year for such events. - Section 2 requires notice at least one school day before the absence from a parent, guardian, or student 18 or older or emancipated. - Section 2 directs the State Board of Education to develop a model policy for local systems to adopt. - Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year. - Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-06) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-10) - Sponsors: Bryce Berry, David Wilkerson, Akbar Ali, Jasmine Clark, Karen Lupton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72960 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1239.md?full=1