Georgia CommonsHB 1271: Education; revise definition of education record to correct a cross-reference; provisions
Last action February 12, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 1271 fixes an incorrect legal cross-reference in Georgia's student records law and broadens where parents and legal custodians can find the right to inspect their child's education records.
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 law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-720) gives parents and legal custodians the right to inspect their child's school education records. That law defines 'education records' by pointing to another section of the code, but the pointer was wrong, it referenced Code Section 20-2-662 instead of the correct section. This bill fixes that cross-reference so the definition points to Code Section 20-2-670 instead. The bill also updates subsection (b), which spells out where parents' inspection rights come from. Previously it only pointed to Code Section 20-2-667. The bill adds Code Section 20-2-670 as an additional source of that right, meaning local boards of education cannot have policies that deny or effectively block inspection rights based on either section. The change would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.
What the bill does
- Corrects a cross-reference in the definition of 'education records' in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-720, changing the citation from Code Section 20-2-662 to Code Section 20-2-670.
- Adds Code Section 20-2-670 as a second legal basis, alongside Code Section 20-2-667, for parents' and legal custodians' right to inspect student education records.
- Prohibits local boards of education from having policies that deny or effectively prevent inspection rights recognized under either referenced section.
- Sets the effective date as the moment the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.
Who it affects
Parents and legal custodians of students in Georgia's public schools, including the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Division of Family and Children Services when they act as legal custodians, as well as local boards of education that must comply with the corrected inspection rules.
Why it matters
The fix ensures the law's definition of 'education record' points to the correct statute, avoiding confusion about which records parents and legal custodians can inspect. Expanding the cited sections also broadens the specific legal basis local boards must honor when parents request to review their child's records.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-720 so 'education records' is defined by reference to Code Section 20-2-670 instead of the incorrect Code Section 20-2-662.
- Section 1 also revises subsection (b) to add Code Section 20-2-670 alongside Code Section 20-2-667 as a basis for parents' and legal custodians' inspection rights.
- Section 2 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without his signature.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“No local board of education shall have a policy of denying, or which effectively prevents, the parents or legal custodians of students who are in attendance at or who have been enrolled in any facility within such system the right to inspect and review the education records of their child”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
- Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
- Will Wade (R, HD-009)
- John Corbett (R, HD-174)
- Holt Persinger (R, HD-119)
- Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
Topics
- student records
- parental rights
- education law
- school policy