HB 1382: Education; institutions grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students based on military service; maintain policies

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-18House Hopper (House)

• Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)Primary sponsor
• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)
• Derrick Jackson (D, HD-068)
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)

• military education credit
• veterans
• higher education
• technical colleges
• University System of Georgia