---
title: HB 1284. Education; awarding of high school diplomas to high school students who are at the end of life; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1284
cite_as: HB 1284, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1284
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1284.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1284/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73133
date: 2026-05-05
status: passed
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1251
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1284.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1284
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-05
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Deborah Silcox
- Jon Burns
- Butch Parrish
- Chris Erwin
- Sandy Donatucci
- Scott Hilton
- Billy Hickman
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1284/2025
upstream_id: 2114635
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- high school diplomas
- terminally ill students
- education policy
- local school boards
---
# HB 1284. Education; awarding of high school diplomas to high school students who are at the end of life; provide
## Text
House Bill 1284 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Silcox of the 53rd, Burns of the 159th, Parrish of the 158th, Erwin of the
32nd, Donatucci of the 105th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to local boards of education, so as to provide for the awarding of high school
diplomas to high school students who are at the end of life; to provide for waivers; to provide
for posthumous awarding of such diplomas; to provide for policies, rules, and regulations;
to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; 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 "Gakobe Milton Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to local
boards of education, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-70.1.
Each local board of education shall issue a high school diploma to a student enrolled in a
high school program who has a medical diagnosis of a terminal condition and is receiving
end-of-life care. The parent or guardian of any such student shall submit to the appropriate
local school superintendent a written request for a high school diploma to be awarded to
the student prior to the end of his or her life. Such written request shall include
documentation from the student's medical provider stating the student's end-of-life health
status. Within 14 calendar days of receiving such written request, the local board of
education shall petition the State Board of Education to waive the requirements of high
school graduation credits for the student. Upon approval of such waiver by the State Board
of Education, the local board of education shall award a high school diploma to the student.
Although every effort should be made for the high school diploma to be awarded to the
student before the end of his or her life, high school diplomas may be posthumously
awarded pursuant to this Code section. The State Board of Education shall adopt any
policies, rules, or regulations necessary to ensure prompt compliance with this Code
section."
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 1284 would require Georgia local school boards to award high school diplomas to students who are terminally ill and receiving end-of-life care, including after death if needed.
### Plain-language summary
Currently there is no specific state process for fast-tracking a diploma for a dying high school student. This bill, called the "Gakobe Milton Act," adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-70.1) requiring local boards of education to issue a diploma to a student who has a medical diagnosis of a terminal condition and is receiving end-of-life care.
A parent or guardian must submit a written request to the local school superintendent, along with documentation from the student's medical provider confirming the end-of-life status. Within 14 calendar days, the local board must ask the State Board of Education to waive the usual graduation credit requirements. Once that waiver is approved, the diploma must be awarded, either while the student is alive or, if necessary, after the student has died. The State Board of Education must adopt rules to make sure this happens quickly.
### What it does
- Creates a new legal requirement (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-70.1) that local boards of education issue diplomas to terminally ill students in end-of-life care.
- Requires a parent or guardian to submit a written request with medical documentation of the student's end-of-life status to the local superintendent.
- Sets a 14 calendar day deadline for the local board to petition the State Board of Education for a waiver of graduation credit requirements.
- Allows diplomas to be awarded posthumously if the student dies before the waiver process finishes.
- Directs the State Board of Education to create policies, rules, or regulations to ensure schools comply promptly.
### Who it affects
Terminally ill high school students and their families, local school superintendents and boards of education, and the State Board of Education, which must process waiver requests and set statewide compliance rules.
### Why it matters
Families of dying students would gain a defined, fast path to secure a diploma without waiting for normal graduation requirements to be met, and schools would be legally required to act within a set timeframe rather than handling such requests case by case.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the law the "Gakobe Milton Act."
- Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 20-2-70.1, requiring local boards to issue diplomas to students with a terminal diagnosis who are in end-of-life care.
- Section 2 requires a written parental request with medical documentation and sets a 14 day deadline for the local board to seek a State Board of Education waiver of graduation credit requirements.
- Section 2 allows diplomas to be awarded posthumously if the student dies before the process is complete.
- Section 2 directs the State Board of Education to adopt rules ensuring prompt compliance.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-05)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-05)
- Sponsors: Deborah Silcox, Jon Burns, Butch Parrish, Chris Erwin, Sandy Donatucci, Scott Hilton, Billy Hickman
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73133
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,251 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1284.md?full=1