Georgia CommonsHB 1256: Georgia Appreciation for Educators Act; enact
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 11, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1256
By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, Herring of the 145th, McQueen of the 61st, Park of the 107th, Burnough of the 77th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, so as to provide for student loan repayment for public school teachers who graduated from an eligible postsecondary educational institution in Georgia and who have taught for at least five years in a public school in this state; to provide for definitions; to provide for eligibility; to provide for student loan repayment agreements and conditions; to provide for maximum student loan repayment amounts; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for an appropriations contingency; to provide for related matters; to provide 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 "Georgia Appreciation for Educators Act."
SECTION 2.
Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, is amended by adding a new subpart to read as follows:
"Subpart 7D
20-3-467.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Eligible applicant' means a person who:
(A) Is a legal resident of the State of Georgia;
(B) Graduated from an eligible postsecondary institution; and
(C) Is currently employed as a teacher in a public school in this state and has been so employed for at least five years.
(2) 'Eligible postsecondary institution' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 20-3-519.
(3) 'Recipient' means an eligible applicant who applied for and was approved by the authority for student loan repayment under this Code section.
(4) 'Student loan' means debt incurred by a recipient that is:
(A) Evidenced by a promissory note which required the funds received to be used to pay for the cost of attendance for a course of study of the recipient;
(B) Not in default at the time of application for repayment under this Code section; and
(C) Not subject to an existing service obligation or to repayment through another student loan repayment or loan forgiveness program or to repayment as a condition of employment.
(5) 'Teacher' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 20-2-942.
(b) The authority is authorized to approve the applications of eligible applicants in accordance with rules and regulations established by the authority governing the student loan repayment process.
(c) The authority is authorized to provide for the repayment of student loans held by a recipient in consideration of the recipient performing services in the form of teaching in a public school in this state for not less than five years.
(d)(1) Each recipient, before being granted any student loan repayment, shall enter into a student loan repayment agreement with the authority agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the student loan repayment is granted, including such terms and conditions set forth in this Code section.
(2) The authority shall have the power to terminate a student loan repayment agreement at any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the authority, provided that such power shall not be arbitrarily or unreasonably exercised.
(e) Each student loan repayment agreement entered into with the authority pursuant to this Code section shall be signed by the director of the authority and by the recipient and shall:
(1) Provide for repayment of the recipient's student loans in a total amount as the authority shall determine based on available appropriations, but not exceeding the total student loan debt of the recipient, to be paid out over a term of not more than five years in installments made on an annual basis;
(2) Provide that any payment made by the authority under a student loan repayment agreement shall be made in consideration of services rendered by the recipient as a teacher in a public school in this state; and
(3) Require that the recipient remain a legal resident of this state as established by rules and regulations of the authority and be employed as a teacher in a public school in this state at all times during the term of the agreement.
(f) The authority shall adopt such rules and regulations as are reasonable and necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section.
(g) Student loan repayment for recipients having entered into a student loan repayment agreement with the authority pursuant to this Code section shall be contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly for the purposes of this Code section in annual appropriations Acts of the General Assembly."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.