Georgia CommonsHB 1477: Special Education Advocate Registration Act; enact
Last action March 4, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 1477 would create a state registration system for special education advocates in Georgia, requiring background checks, training, and a code of ethics before they can be paid to help families in disability education disputes.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Right now, people who charge parents of children with disabilities for help navigating special education disputes are not required to register with any state authority in Georgia. House Bill 1477, called the Special Education Advocate Registration Act, would change that by adding a new section to Georgia's education code (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-21). Under the bill, anyone who is not a licensed lawyer but represents or consults with families in administrative proceedings under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and who gets paid for it, would have to register with the Department of Education. Applicants would pass a criminal background check, show relevant competency and experience, complete yearly training, and follow a code of ethics the State Board of Education would write with advocates' input. Registrations would last one year and could be renewed. The department would post a public list of registered advocates, and schools would have to tell parents of children with disabilities how to find it.
What the bill does
- Requires paid special education advocates who are not licensed attorneys to register annually with the Department of Education and pay a fee.
- Requires applicants to pass a criminal background check and have no disqualifying criminal record before being registered.
- Requires advocates to show competency, education, and experience, and complete additional training on special education advocacy each year.
- Directs the State Board of Education to write a code of ethics for advocates, covering professional conduct and ethical billing practices.
- Requires the Department of Education to post a public list of registered advocates and requires schools to tell parents of children with disabilities how to access it.
- Clarifies that the new registration system does not let advocates practice law or count as authorization to practice law.
Who it affects
Paid special education advocates who help families in IDEA-related administrative proceedings, the Department of Education and State Board of Education, local school systems and public schools that must notify families, and parents or guardians of children with disabilities who rely on advocates.
Why it matters
Families of children with disabilities who hire outside help for special education disputes would gain a way to check whether an advocate is registered, background-checked, and bound by an ethics code. Advocates would face new licensing-like requirements, fees, and yearly training obligations to keep working.
Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Special Education Advocate Registration Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code section 20-2-21, defining 'special education advocate' as a non-lawyer who is paid to represent or consult with families in IDEA proceedings, excluding parents advocating for their own child.
- Subsection (b) requires registration with the Department of Education, an application, a registration fee, and one-year renewable terms, with the State Board setting fee amounts based on processing costs.
- Subsection (c) sets qualification requirements: passing a criminal background check, showing competency and experience, completing yearly training, and following the ethics code.
- Subsection (d) directs the State Board to adopt a code of ethics covering professional conduct and ethical billing, developed with input from advocates and other relevant groups.
- Subsection (e) requires the Department to maintain a public list of registered advocates and requires schools to notify parents of children with disabilities about the list alongside IDEA procedural safeguards notices.
- Subsection (f) clarifies the section does not regulate the practice of law or authorize unlicensed practice of law.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“'Special education advocate' means an individual who is not licensed to practice law in this state who represents or consults with individuals with disabilities and their parents in administrative proceedings conducted pursuant to IDEA in this state and who receives payment for such representation or consultation.”
“Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to regulate the practice of law or to authorize any person not admitted to practice law to engage in the practice of law.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)
- Long Tran (D, HD-080)
- Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
- Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
Topics
- special education
- disability rights
- education advocacy
- occupational licensing
- IDEA proceedings