House Bill 1352
By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Jones of the 25th, Chastain of the 7th, Gambill of the
15th, and Burchett of the 176th
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 of
Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance, so as to provide for public school
students to be permitted to attend courses in religious moral instruction provided by an
individual or organization independently of a public school, subject to certain conditions; to
provide for such conditions; to provide for students to receive academic credit for such
courses; to require local education agencies to adopt certain policies; to prohibit students who
participate in such courses from being counted as absent from school; to provide for
responsibilities of the Department of Education; to provide for definitions; 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 "Student Character Development Act."
SECTION 2.
Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance, is amended by adding a new Code section to
read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-692.5.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Local education agency' shall have the same meaning as in Code Section 20-2-167.1.
(2) 'Released time course' means a course in religious moral instruction provided by an
individual or organization independently of a public school.
(b) By August 1, 2026, each local education agency shall adopt a policy that permits all
students to be excused from school to attend a released time course for at least one hour per
school week. Such policy shall require that:
(1) The student's parent or legal guardian gives written consent for the student to attend
the released time course;
(2) The individual or organization providing the released time course maintains
attendance records and makes such records available to the officials of the school in
which the student is enrolled;
(3)(A) Transportation to and from the location of the released time course, including
transportation for students with disabilities, is the responsibility of the student or his or
her parent or legal guardian; and
(B) If the individual or organization providing the released time course is to provide
student transportation from school, appropriate consent shall be provided by the
student's parent or legal guardian;
(4) The individual or organization providing the released time course verifies to the local
education agency that such individual or organization assumes full responsibility for the
student at all times such student is participating in a released time course activity,
</ins>
<ins>including, but not limited to, transportation provided by such individual or organization
to and from such activity;
(5) Except as necessary to award academic credit for the completion of a released time
course, as provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section, no local education agency
funds except de minimis administrative costs are expended in providing or
accommodating the released time course;
(6) Released time courses are not to be held on public school property unless permitted
under a neutral policy of equal access opening such school property for use by
community groups; and
(7) The student assumes responsibility for any missed school work.
(c) A local education agency may adopt a policy that provides for academic credit to be
awarded for the completion of a released time course. In determining the academic credit
to award for completion of such course, the local education agency shall evaluate the
course based exclusively on secular criteria that are substantially the same criteria used to
evaluate similar courses for purposes of determining the academic credit to award for such
courses. The decision to award academic credit for a released time course shall be neutral
to, and shall not involve any test for, religious content or denominational affiliation. Such
secular criteria may include the following:
(1) The number of hours of classroom instruction time;
(2) A review of the released time course syllabus that reflects released time course
requirements and materials used;
(3) The methods of assessment used in the released time course; and
(4) The qualifications of the released time course instructor.
(d) While in attendance in a released time course, a student shall not be considered absent
from school.
(e)(1) The Department of Education is authorized and directed to take all steps
reasonably necessary to maximize the amounts of state and federal funding local
</ins>
<ins>education agencies receive regardless of the number of students who participate in a
released time course.
(2) The Department of Education shall promulgate model policies and procedures
consistent with this Code section to be available for use by local education agencies."
</ins> SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.