Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1382: Education; institutions grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students based on military service; maintain policies
Last action February 20, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 1382 would encourage the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and require the Technical College System of Georgia to grant academic credit to active duty military members and veterans for relevant military training and experience.
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 the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law already required the Technical College System of Georgia to grant academic credit for military training under O.C.G.A. § 20-4-38, and this bill preserves that requirement while adding new detail. It also fills in a previously reserved (blank) code section, O.C.G.A. § 20-3-69, to address the University System of Georgia. For the university system, the bill encourages, but does not require, the Board of Regents to maintain a policy granting academic credit to active duty military and veteran students for college level learning gained through military service, as long as that training is substantially related to the coursework being credited. For both systems, the bill authorizes the use of joint service transcripts from the U.S. Department of Defense and credit recommendations from organizations that evaluate military training, and it authorizes each board to work with the Georgia Department of Veterans Service to create a public guide showing which courses may earn academic credit based on military service.
What the bill does
- Fills in a reserved section of law, O.C.G.A. § 20-3-69, to encourage the Board of Regents to maintain a policy awarding academic credit to military and veteran students for relevant military training.
- Keeps in place the existing requirement in O.C.G.A. § 20-4-38 that the Technical College System of Georgia grant such academic credit, while reorganizing the section into labeled subsections.
- Authorizes both the Board of Regents and the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to use Department of Defense joint service transcripts and outside credit recommendations when deciding what credit to award.
- Authorizes both boards to work with the Georgia Department of Veterans Service to create a public guide listing which courses qualify for academic credit based on military service.
Who it affects
Active duty military members and veterans who are current or prospective students at University System of Georgia or Technical College System of Georgia institutions, along with the Board of Regents, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.
Why it matters
Veterans and service members often bring training that overlaps with college coursework. This bill would make it easier for them to get academic credit for that training, potentially shortening the time and cost needed to finish a degree or technical certificate at Georgia public institutions.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-3-69, previously reserved (blank), to encourage the Board of Regents to maintain a policy granting academic credit for military-related college level learning, conditioned on the training being substantially related to the coursework.
- Section 1 also authorizes the Board of Regents to use joint service transcripts and outside credit recommendations, and to develop a public guide with the Department of Veterans Service.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-4-38 to keep the existing requirement that the Technical College System of Georgia grant academic credit for relevant military training, now organized as subsection (a).
- Section 2 adds subsections (b) and (c) authorizing use of joint service transcripts and credit recommendations, and authorizing a public guide developed with the Department of Veterans Service.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“The board is encouraged to maintain a policy by which institutions of the university system shall grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students for college level learning acquired prior to enrollment from military service”
“The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia shall maintain a policy by which institutions of the Technical College System of Georgia shall grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students for college level learning acquired prior to enrollment from military service”
Discussed in meetings (3)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Higher Education Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:55:44 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said inconsistent recognition of military learning across Georgia's university and technical college systems can force veterans to repeat classes and delay graduation. The sponsor described provisions encouraging university-system credit policies, authorizing joint service transcripts to award credit, and authorizing public guides based on American Council on Education recommendations. The sponsor outlined a requested substitute that would instead encourage the university system, with the Department of Veterans Service, to publish a database of courses previously awarded credit for military service. Asked about costs, the sponsor said fewer required classes would reduce tuition. Asked which training qualifies, the sponsor said military courses and training could qualify but could not provide specific examples of accepted courses. The chair offered to obtain examples. Another member praised Georgia Military College's existing practices. The sponsor said the university system reported already awarding such credit. A member with military experience supported appropriate credit while noting that matching military training to college coursework can be difficult. The chair requested the substitute and planned to invite university-system and technical-college representatives to a later hearing. No vote was taken.
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)
- Josh Bonner (R, HD-73)
- Derrick Jackson (D, HD-68)
- Sandra Scott (D, HD-76)
- Viola Davis (D, HD-87)
Topics
- military education credit
- veterans
- higher education
- technical colleges
- University System of Georgia