---
title: HB 1505. Quality Basic Education Act; prescribed course of study in sex education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention instruction is age appropriate and medically accurate; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1505
cite_as: HB 1505, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1505
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1505.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1505/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73872
date: 2026-03-06
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/hb1505.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1505
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Will Wade
- Sandy Donatucci
- Katie Dempsey
- Soo Hong
- Deborah Silcox
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1505/2025
upstream_id: 2128656
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- sex education
- HIV prevention
- public schools
- parental rights
- health curriculum
---
# HB 1505. Quality Basic Education Act; prescribed course of study in sex education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention instruction is age appropriate and medically accurate; provide
## Text
House Bill 1505
By: Representatives Wade of the 9th, Donatucci of the 105th, Dempsey of the 13th, Hong of
the 103rd, and Silcox of the 53rd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education
Act," so as to provide that the prescribed course of study in sex education and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention instruction is age appropriate and medically
accurate and promotes sexual abstinence; to include the subject of personal responsibility in
such course of study; to provide for implementation; to provide for a definition; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is
amended by revising Code Section 20-2-143, relating to sex education and AIDS prevention
instruction, implementation, and student exemption, as follows:
"20-2-143.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'medically accurate' means that which is based
on sound scientific evidence and accepted medical knowledge, is consistent with
established principles of medicine, and is supported by reputable medical authorities,
research studies, and clinical evidence.
(a.1)(1) Each local board of education shall prescribe a an age-appropriate and medically
accurate course of study in sex education and AIDS human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) prevention instruction for such grades and grade levels in the public school system
as shall be determined by the State Board of Education. Such course of study shall
implement either the minimum course of study provided for in subsection (b) of this Code
section or its equivalent, as approved by the State Board of Education. Each local board
of education shall be authorized to supplement and develop the exact approach of content
areas of such minimum course of study with such specific curriculum standards as it may
deem appropriate. Such standards shall include age-appropriate and medically accurate
instruction relating to the significance of personal boundaries and responsibility in
relationships, the handling of peer pressure, the promotion of high self-esteem, local
community values, the legal consequences of parenthood, and abstinence from sexual
activity as an effective method of prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases,
and acquired immune deficiency syndrome infections, and human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV).
(2) In the event a local board of education offers more than one course of study in sex
education, including both an abstinence based course and a comprehensive course, the
local board of education shall ensure that:
(A) A parent or legal guardian of each student is provided the opportunity to select, in
writing, the course of study in which such student will be enrolled; and
(B) If a parent or legal guardian does not make an affirmative written selection, the
student shall be enrolled by default in the abstinence based course of study.
(3) Any comprehensive course of study in sex education offered pursuant to this Code
section shall comply with all requirements of this Code section and applicable state law,
including but not limited to, the requirement that instruction emphasize sexual abstinence
as the most effective and safest method of preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted
infections, and other physical, mental, and emotional harm resulting from underage
sexual activity.
(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit a parent’s or legal guardian’s
right to exempt a student from sex education instruction pursuant to subsection (d) of this
Code section.
(b) The State Board of Education shall prescribe a an age-appropriate and medically
accurate minimum course of study in sex education and AIDS human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) prevention instruction which may be included as a part of a course of study in
comprehensive health education for such grades and grade levels in the public school
system as shall be determined by the state board and shall establish standards for its
administration. The course may include age-appropriate and medically accurate instruction
concerning human biology, conception, pregnancy, birth, sexually transmitted diseases, and
acquired immune deficiency syndrome infections, and human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) based on content developed by the Department of Public Health. The course shall
include age-appropriate and medically accurate instruction concerning the legal
consequences of parenthood, including, without being limited to, the legal obligation of
both parents to support a child and legal penalties or restrictions upon failure to support a
child, including, without being limited to, the possible suspension or revocation of a
parent's driver's license and occupational or professional licenses. The course shall also
include annual age-appropriate instruction for students in kindergarten through grade nine
concerning awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention
education in kindergarten through grade nine. A manual setting out the details of such
course of study shall be prepared by or approved by the State School Superintendent in
cooperation with the Department of Public Health, the State Board of Education, and such
expert advisers as they may choose.
(c) The minimum course of study to be prescribed by the State Board of Education
pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section shall be ready for implementation not later
than July 1, 1988 August 1, 2027. Each local board shall implement either such minimum
course of study or its equivalent not later than July 1, 1989 2028. Any local board of
education which fails to comply with this subsection shall not be eligible to receive any
state funding under this article until such minimum course of study or its equivalent has
been implemented.
(d) Any parent or legal guardian of a child to whom the course of study set forth in this
Code section is to be taught shall have the right to elect, in writing, that such child not
receive such course of study.
(e) All curricula and courses of instruction implemented under this Code section shall
emphasize sexual abstinence as the best method of optimizing student health because it is
the only completely reliable method of avoiding pregnancy; sexually transmitted infections,
including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); and other physical, mental, and emotional
harm resulting from underage sexual activity."
SECTION 2.
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.
A Georgia House bill would rewrite the state's sex education law to require age-appropriate, medically accurate instruction, emphasize abstinence, and push back the implementation deadline for new curriculum standards to 2027 and 2028.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already requires local school boards to teach sex education and HIV prevention using a state-approved course of study, but it does not currently define what counts as medically accurate or require age-appropriate content. This bill amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-143 to add a definition of 'medically accurate' based on sound scientific evidence and accepted medical knowledge, and to require that all sex education and HIV prevention instruction be both age-appropriate and medically accurate.
The bill adds new topics to the required curriculum, including personal boundaries and responsibility in relationships, and sets rules for districts that offer both abstinence-based and comprehensive courses: parents must affirmatively choose a course in writing, or their child defaults into the abstinence-based course. It also requires comprehensive courses to emphasize abstinence as the most effective method of prevention. The State Board of Education's minimum course of study must be ready by August 1, 2027, and local boards must implement it by July 1, 2028, replacing the old 1988 and 1989 deadlines. Parents retain the right to opt their child out entirely.
### What it does
- Adds a legal definition of 'medically accurate' to Georgia's sex education law, requiring instruction based on sound scientific evidence and accepted medical knowledge.
- Requires all sex education and HIV prevention courses taught in Georgia public schools to be age-appropriate and medically accurate, not just AIDS-focused as under current law.
- Requires districts offering both an abstinence-based and a comprehensive sex education course to let parents choose in writing, defaulting students into the abstinence-based course if no choice is made.
- Requires any comprehensive sex education course to emphasize sexual abstinence as the most effective method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
- Pushes back the State Board of Education's deadline to finalize the minimum course of study to August 1, 2027, and the local implementation deadline to July 1, 2028.
- Adds instruction on personal boundaries and responsibility in relationships to the required curriculum topics.
### Who it affects
Local school boards and the State Board of Education, which must update sex education curricula; public school students in kindergarten through grade nine and beyond who receive this instruction; parents and legal guardians, who gain new written-choice and default-enrollment rights; and the Department of Public Health, which helps develop course content.
### Why it matters
Georgia families would see changes to what their children are taught about sex, relationships, and HIV prevention, with a legal requirement that the material be scientifically accurate. Parents in districts with multiple course options would need to actively choose a course or their child would default into abstinence-based instruction.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-143 to add subsection (a) defining 'medically accurate' as based on sound scientific evidence, accepted medical knowledge, and reputable medical authorities.
- New subsection (a.1) requires local boards to prescribe an age-appropriate, medically accurate course of study covering personal boundaries, peer pressure, self-esteem, legal consequences of parenthood, and abstinence.
- New subsection (a.1)(2) requires districts offering multiple sex education courses to get written parental selection, with default enrollment in the abstinence-based course if no selection is made.
- New subsection (a.1)(3) requires comprehensive courses to emphasize abstinence as the most effective and safest method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
- Subsection (b) requires the State Board's minimum course of study to include age-appropriate, medically accurate content on human biology, sexually transmitted infections, and legal consequences of parenthood, plus annual sexual abuse and assault prevention instruction for kindergarten through grade nine.
- Subsection (c) moves the State Board's implementation deadline from July 1, 1988 to August 1, 2027, and the local board deadline from July 1, 1989 to July 1, 2028.
- New subsection (e) requires all curricula under this section to emphasize sexual abstinence as the best method of optimizing student health.
- Subsection (d) preserves parents' existing right to opt their child out of sex education instruction in writing.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Will Wade, Sandy Donatucci, Katie Dempsey, Soo Hong, Deborah Silcox
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73872
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1505.md?full=1