--- title: HB 133. Student Character Development Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb133 cite_as: HB 133, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb133 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb133.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb133/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69532 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced 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/hb132.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb134.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 249 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb133.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 133 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-27 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - David Clark - Scott Hilton - James Burchett - Mack Jackson - Matthew Gambill - Johnny Chastain text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB133/2025 upstream_id: 1943206 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - religious education - public schools - school attendance policy - academic credit - student privacy and safety --- # HB 133. Student Character Development Act; enact ## Text 25 LC 49 2330S The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 133: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of1 Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance, so as to provide for public school2 students to be permitted to attend courses in religious moral instruction provided by a person3 or organization independently of a public school, subject to certain conditions; to provide for4 such conditions; to provide for students to receive academic cr edit for such courses; to5 require local education agencies to adopt certain policies; to prohibit students who participate6 in such courses from being counted as absent from school; to provide for responsibilities of7 the Department of Education; to require criminal records checks; to provide for immunity;8 to provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to pr ovide for related matters; to9 provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:11 SECTION 1.12 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Character Development Act."13 H. B. 133 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 49 2330S SECTION 2.14 Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of t he Official Code of Georgia15 Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance, is amended by adding a new Code section to16 read as follows:17 "20-2-692.4.18 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:19 (1) 'Local education agency' shall have the same meaning as in Code Section 20-2-167.1.20 (2) 'Released time course' means a course in religious moral i nstruction provided by a21 person or organization independently of a public school.22 (b) Each local education agency may adopt a policy that permits all students to be excused23 from school to attend a released time course for at least one hour per school week. Such24 policy shall require that:25 (1) The student's parent or legal guardian gives written consent for the student to attend26 the released time course;27 (2) The person or organization sponsoring the released time course maintains attendance28 records and makes such records available to the officials of th e school in which the29 student is enrolled;30 (3)(A) Transportation to and from the location of the released time course, including31 transportation for students with disabilities, is the responsibility of the student or his or32 her parent or legal guardian; and33 (B) If the person or organization sponsoring the released time course is to provide34 student transportation from school, appropriate consent shall b e provided by the35 student's parent or legal guardian;36 (4) The person or organization sponsoring the released time course verifies to the local37 education agency that such person or organization assumes full responsibility for the38 student at all times such student is participating in a release d time course activity,39 H. B. 133 (SUB) - 2 - 25 LC 49 2330S including, but not limited to, transportation provided by such person or organization to40 and from such activity;41 (5) Except as necessary to award academic credit for the completion of a released time42 course, as provided for in subsection (d) of this Code section, no local education agency43 funds except de minimis administrative costs are expended in pr oviding or44 accommodating the released time course;45 (6) Released time courses are not to be held on public school property unless permitted46 under a neutral policy of equal access opening such school prop erty for use by47 community groups; and48 (7) The student assumes responsibility for any missed school work.49 (c) The policy adopted by a local education agency under subse ction (b) of this Code50 section shall include a requirement for a criminal records check of individuals providing51 a released time course to students pursuant to this Code section.52 (d) Each local education agency may adopt a policy that awards academic credit for the53 completion of a released time course. In determining the acade mic credit to award for54 completion of such course, the local education agency shall evaluate the course based on55 purely secular criteria that are substantially the same criteri a used to evaluate similar56 courses for purposes of determining the academic credit to award for such courses. The57 decision to award academic credit for a released time course shall be neutral to, and shall58 not involve any test for, religious content or denominational a ffiliation. Such secular59 criteria may include the following:60 (1) The number of hours of classroom instruction time;61 (2) A review of the released time course syllabus that reflect s released time course62 requirements and materials used;63 (3) The methods of assessment used in the released time course; and64 (4) The qualifications of the released time course instructor.65 H. B. 133 (SUB) - 3 - 25 LC 49 2330S (e) No local education agency or official or employee thereof shall be liable in any civil66 action for injury allegedly arising from a student's transit to or from a released time course67 when private transportation is used under a released time cours e policy adopted under68 subsection (b) of this Code section.69 (f) While in attendance in a released time course, a student shall not be considered absent70 from school.71 (g)(1) The Department of Education is authorized and directed to take all steps72 reasonably necessary to maximize the amounts of state and feder al funding local73 education agencies receive regardless of the number of students who participate in a74 released time course.75 (2) The Department of Education shall promulgate model policie s and procedures76 consistent with this Code section to be available for use by local education agencies."77 SECTION 3.78 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law79 without such approval.80 SECTION 4.81 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.82 H. B. 133 (SUB) - 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. HB 133 would let Georgia public school districts excuse students for up to an hour a week to attend outside religious moral instruction classes, with optional academic credit and parental consent required. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law currently sets rules for compulsory school attendance but does not address so-called 'released time' programs, where students leave school to take religious or moral instruction from an outside person or organization. This bill lets local school boards (called local education agencies) adopt a policy allowing any student to be excused for at least one hour per school week to attend such a course. The policy would require written parental consent, attendance records kept by the course provider, a criminal records check for instructors, and transportation arranged by the family unless the provider offers it with consent. Schools could not use their own funds beyond minor administrative costs, and courses could not be held on school property unless the school already opens its facilities to community groups generally. Districts could also choose to award academic credit for the course based on secular, non-religious criteria. Students attending would not be marked absent, and the law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature. ### What it does - Allows local school boards to adopt a policy excusing students for at least one hour per school week to attend outside religious moral instruction, called a 'released time course.' - Requires written parental or guardian consent before a student can participate in a released time course. - Requires a criminal records check for anyone providing a released time course to students under an adopted policy. - Lets districts award academic credit for completed released time courses using secular, non-religious evaluation criteria. - Prohibits students who attend a released time course from being marked absent from school. - Directs the Department of Education to create model policies and to maximize state and federal funding for districts regardless of student participation in these courses. ### Who it affects Public school students and their parents or guardians, local school boards and district officials who would design and administer these policies, outside religious or moral instruction providers who must pass criminal records checks, and the Georgia Department of Education, which must issue model policies and manage funding effects. ### Why it matters Students could regularly leave campus for religious or moral instruction without being counted absent or losing school funding for their district, while parents retain control through required consent. Districts would need new policies covering transportation, credit, background checks, and liability before offering this option. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the law the 'Student Character Development Act.' - Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-692.4, defining 'released time course' and letting local education agencies adopt a policy excusing students for at least one hour weekly. - The policy must require parental consent, attendance recordkeeping by the provider, family-arranged transportation unless the provider offers it with consent, and provider assumption of responsibility for the student during the activity. - Local funds beyond minor administrative costs cannot be spent on the courses, and courses cannot be held on school property unless the property is already open to community groups generally. - A criminal records check is required for individuals providing released time courses. - Districts may award academic credit using secular criteria such as instruction hours, syllabus review, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications, with no test for religious content. - Districts and their officials are shielded from civil liability for injuries during private transportation to or from a released time course. - The Department of Education must maximize state and federal funding for districts regardless of participation levels and must issue model policies; the Act takes effect upon the Governor's approval or becoming law without it. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-27) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: David Clark, Scott Hilton, James Burchett, Mack Jackson, Matthew Gambill, Johnny Chastain - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69532 > The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb133.md?full=1