--- title: HB 1271. Education; revise definition of education record to correct a cross-reference; provisions collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1271 cite_as: HB 1271, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1271 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1271.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1271/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73076 date: 2026-02-12 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/hb1270.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1272.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1271.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1271 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-10 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Chris Erwin - Rick Townsend - Will Wade - John Corbett - Holt Persinger - Matthew Gambill text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1271/2025 upstream_id: 2113657 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - student records - parental rights - education law - school policy --- # HB 1271. Education; revise definition of education record to correct a cross-reference; provisions ## Text House Bill 1271 By: Representatives Erwin of the 32nd, Townsend of the 179th, Wade of the 9th, Corbett of the 174th, Persinger of the 119th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 20-2-720 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to inspection of students' records by parents or legal custodians, so as to revise the definition of the term "education record" to correct a cross-reference; to expand provisions for the inspection and review of student education records by parents and legal custodians; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 20-2-720 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to inspection of students' records by parents or legal custodians, is amended by revising subsections (a) and (b) as follows: "(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) 'Education record records' shall have the same meaning as provided for in Code Section 20-2-662 20-2-670. (2) 'Legal custodian' means an entity or individual other than a parent with legal authority to act on behalf of a student. Such term shall include the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services. (3) 'Local board of education' means the governing body of each local education agency as such terms are defined in Code Section 20-2-167.1. Such term shall include the school system of the Department of Juvenile Justice. (4) 'Parent' means an individual other than a legal custodian who has legal authority to act on behalf of a student as a natural or adoptive parent or a legal guardian. (b) 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 as provided in Code Section 20-2-667 or Code Section 20-2-670." SECTION 2. This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval. SECTION 3. 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. 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. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-10) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-12) - Sponsors: Chris Erwin, Rick Townsend, Will Wade, John Corbett, Holt Persinger, Matthew Gambill - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73076 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1271.md?full=1