---
title: HB 1382. Education; institutions grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students based on military service; maintain policies
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1382
cite_as: HB 1382, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1382
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1382.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1382/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73371
date: 2026-02-20
status: introduced
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: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1382.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1382
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-18
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Eric Gisler
- Josh Bonner
- Derrick Jackson
- Sandra Scott
- Viola Davis
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1382/2025
upstream_id: 2119510
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- military education credit
- veterans
- higher education
- technical colleges
- University System of Georgia
---
# HB 1382. Education; institutions grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students based on military service; maintain policies
## Text
House Bill 1382
By: Representatives Gisler of the 121st, Bonner of the 73rd, Jackson of the 68th, Scott of the
76th, and Davis of the 87th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
encourage the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and authorize the State
Board of the Technical College System of Georgia to maintain policies for institutions and
units of each system to grant academic credit to active duty military or veteran students based
on military service; to encourage and authorize the use of joint service transcripts and related
credit recommendations; to encourage and authorize the development of a guide in
collaboration with the Department of Veterans Service for certain students; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia, relating to education, is amended in Part 2 of Article
2 of Chapter 3, relating to university system, by revising Code Section 20-3-69, which is
reserved, as follows:
"20-3-69.
(a) 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; provided, however, that
the training and experience obtained through such military service shall be substantially
related to the coursework for which any such academic credit is granted.
(b) For the purpose of developing such policy and awarding academic credit pursuant to
this Code section, the board shall be authorized to utilize joint service transcripts issued by
the United States Department of Defense and credit recommendations made by an
organization which evaluates military courses and occupations to make such
recommendations.
(c) The board, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Service, shall be
authorized to develop and make available to the public a guide for active duty military and
veteran students and prospective students that includes courses for which students may be
awarded academic credit based on military service. Reserved."
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in Article 2 of Chapter 4, relating to technical and adult
education, by revising Code section 20-4-38, relating to academic credit for military training
and experience, as follows:
"20-4-38.
(a) 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; provided, however, that the training and experience
obtained through such military service shall be substantially related to the coursework for
which any such academic credit is granted.
(b) For the purpose of developing such policy and awarding academic credit pursuant to
this Code section, the state board shall be authorized to utilize joint service transcripts
issued by the United States Department of Defense and credit recommendations made by
an organization which evaluates military courses and occupations to make such
recommendations.
(c) The state board, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Service, shall be
authorized to develop and make available to the public a guide for active duty military and
veteran students and prospective students that includes courses for which students may be
awarded academic credit based on military service."
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 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.
### Plain-language summary
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 it 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.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-18)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-20)
- Sponsors: Eric Gisler, Josh Bonner, Derrick Jackson, Sandra Scott, Viola Davis
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73371
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1382.md?full=1