--- title: HB 127. Education; number of accumulated sick leave days for teachers and other school personnel; increase from three to five collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb127 cite_as: HB 127, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb127 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb127.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb127/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69501 date: 2025-04-02 status: engrossed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb126.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb128.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 3588 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb127.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 127 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-06 last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute sponsors: - Brent Cox - Rob Leverett - Carmen Rice - Carter Barrett - Chris Erwin - Mitchell Horner - Max Burns text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB127/2025 upstream_id: 1943190 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - diversity equity and inclusion - public schools - higher education funding - school district funding - education policy --- # HB 127. Education; number of accumulated sick leave days for teachers and other school personnel; increase from three to five ## Text 25 LC 61 0259S The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following substitute to HB 127: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to general provisions relative to education, so as to provide that local education2 agencies and postsecondary institutions shall not promote, support, or maintain any programs3 or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion; to provide for exceptions; to4 provide for sanctions; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for5 an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to9 general provisions relative to education, is amended by adding a new Code section to read10 as follows:11 "20-1-12.12 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:13 (1) 'Local education agency' shall have the same meaning as se t forth in Code14 Section 20-2-167.1.15 - 1 - 25 LC 61 0259S (2) 'Multiple occupancy restroom or changing area' means an area in a facility owned or16 operated by a local education agency or a postsecondary institu tion that is designed or17 designated to be used by one or more individuals of the same se x at the same time and18 in which one or more individuals may be in various stages of undress in the presence of19 other individuals. Such term includes, but shall not be limited to:20 (A) Restrooms;21 (B) Locker rooms;22 (C) Changing rooms; and23 (D) Shower rooms.24 (3) 'Postsecondary institution' means:25 (A) An institution of the University System of Georgia; or26 (B) A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.27 (b) No local education agency or postsecondary institution sha ll promote, support, or28 maintain any programs or activities that advocate for diversity , equity, and inclusion. 29 Diversity, equity, and inclusion includes:30 (1) Any effort to promote the different treatment of, or provi de special benefits to,31 individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or32 sexual orientation;33 (2) Any effort to promote or promulgate policies and procedure s designed or34 implemented with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity,35 or sexual orientation;36 (3) Any effort to promote or promulgate any training, programm ing, recruitment,37 retention, or activities designed or implemented with preferential treatment of any race,38 color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation over another;39 (4) Any effort to promote or promulgate any training, programm ing, or activities40 designed or implemented with reference to race, color, ethnicit y, gender identity, or41 sexual orientation; and42 - 2 - 25 LC 61 0259S (5) With respect to a postsecondary institution, any effort to promote, as the official43 position of the postsecondary institution, a particular, widely contested opinion44 referencing unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, gender ideology45 or theory, microaggressions, group marginalization, Antiracism, systemic oppression,46 social justice, intersectionality, neopronouns, heteronormativity, disparate impact, racial47 privilege, sexual privilege, or any similar or related formulation of these concepts.48 (c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section shall not apply to any policy, rule,49 regulation, or practice adopted or enforced by a local education agency or postsecondary50 institution relating to an interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics program or to the design,51 designation, or use of a multiple occupancy restroom or changing area.52 (d) Any postsecondary institution that violates subsection (b) of this Code section shall be53 subject to the withholding of state funding or state administer ed federal funding. Such54 withholding of state funding or state administered federal fund ing shall include funds55 provided to the postsecondary institution directly as well as funding for scholarships, loans,56 and grants pursuant to Chapter 3 of this title for students of such postsecondary institution.57 (e) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to withhold a portion of state funding58 to a local education agency pursuant to Code Section 20-2-243 i f such local education59 agency violates subsection (b) of this Code section.60 (f) This Code section shall not be subject to waiver pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for61 a strategic waivers school system, Code Section 20-2-2063.2 or 20-2-2065 for a charter62 system, Code Section 20-2-2065 for a charter school, Code Secti on 20-2-2096.3 for a63 completion special school, or Code Section 20-2-244.64 (g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed so as to prohibit compliance with any65 applicable state or federal antidiscrimination law."66 - 3 - 25 LC 61 0259S SECTION 2.67 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall appl y beginning with the68 2025-2026 school year with respect to local education agencies and the 2025-2026 academic69 year with respect to postsecondary institutions.70 SECTION 3.71 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.72 - 4 - ## 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 Senate committee substitute for HB 127 would bar Georgia's local school districts and public colleges from running programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, with funding cuts for violators, despite the bill's original title about teacher sick leave. ### Plain-language summary The bill as originally titled dealt with teacher sick leave, but the substitute text passed by the Senate Committee on Education and Youth replaces that subject entirely. It adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-1-12) that prohibits local school districts and public postsecondary institutions, meaning University System of Georgia schools and Technical College System of Georgia units, from promoting, supporting, or maintaining any program or activity that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill defines diversity, equity, and inclusion broadly, covering efforts tied to race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and for colleges, taking an official position on topics like implicit bias or systemic oppression. It exempts athletics programs and shared restrooms or locker rooms. Colleges that violate the rule risk losing state or state-administered federal funding, including student aid, and school districts risk having state funding withheld by the State Board of Education. It would take effect July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 school year. ### What it does - Bans local school districts and public colleges and technical schools from promoting, supporting, or maintaining programs that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. - Defines diversity, equity, and inclusion to include efforts tied to race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation in policies, training, or recruitment. - Lets the state cut off funding, including student financial aid, to public colleges that violate the ban, and lets the State Board of Education withhold funding from violating school districts. - Exempts athletics programs and shared restrooms, locker rooms, or changing areas from the new restrictions. - Blocks schools from using existing waiver programs, such as charter system or strategic waivers status, to get around this rule. - Sets an effective date of July 1, 2025, applying to the 2025-2026 school year for districts and the 2025-2026 academic year for colleges. ### Who it affects Local school districts and their staff, public university and technical college administrators, students who receive state-funded scholarships, loans, or grants, and any school or college program focused on diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives face new restrictions and possible funding penalties. ### Why it matters Schools and colleges would have to shut down or avoid diversity, equity, and inclusion programming or risk losing state money, including student financial aid at colleges. This could reshape training, hiring practices, and campus programming statewide, though athletics and restroom policies are carved out. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 20-1-12, defining 'local education agency,' 'postsecondary institution,' and 'multiple occupancy restroom or changing area.' - Subsection (b) lists five categories of prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion activity, including preferential treatment and promoting concepts like systemic oppression as official college positions. - Subsection (c) exempts athletics programs and restroom or locker room policies from the ban. - Subsection (d) allows withholding of state or state-administered federal funding, including student aid, from postsecondary institutions that violate the ban. - Subsection (e) allows the State Board of Education to withhold funding from local school districts that violate the ban under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-243. - Subsection (f) blocks schools from using charter system, strategic waiver, or completion special school waivers to avoid this requirement. - Subsection (g) clarifies the section does not override existing state or federal antidiscrimination laws. - Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying beginning with the 2025-2026 school year or academic year. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2025-03-06) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Brent Cox, Rob Leverett, Carmen Rice, Carter Barrett, Chris Erwin, Mitchell Horner, Max Burns - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69501 > The history, votes, and amendments (3,588 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb127.md?full=1