HB 1561: Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act; enact

Currently, Georgia school officials generally have broad authority to review and restrict what appears in student newspapers, yearbooks, and other school sponsored media. This bill, called the Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act, would change that for secondary schools (grades 6-12) and public colleges and universities. Student journalists would gain the right to decide the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of school sponsored media, and schools could not discipline them for exercising that right or censor material in advance except for narrow categories such as libel, obscenity, invasion of privacy, illegal content, or material likely to cause a real disruption. The bill also protects student media advisers, the teachers or staff who supervise student media, from being fired, suspended, or otherwise punished for defending student journalists' rights. Local school boards and public colleges would have to adopt written policies implementing these rules, and students or advisers could sue for injunctive relief and attorney's fees if their rights are violated. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Gives student journalists at public secondary schools and public colleges the right to decide the content of school sponsored or institution sponsored media.
• Bars schools and colleges from disciplining student journalists for exercising that editorial control, except for content that is libelous, obscene, illegal, invades privacy, or risks real disruption.
• Prohibits prior review or censorship of student media before publication except for those same narrow categories of unprotected content.
• Protects student media advisers from being fired, demoted, transferred, or otherwise punished for defending student journalists or refusing to censor them.
• Requires local school boards and public colleges to adopt written policies covering time, place, and manner of distributing student media, plus an appeals process.
• Allows students or advisers to sue in court for an order forcing publication and to recover attorney's fees if they win.

Student journalists and student media advisers at Georgia public secondary schools (grades 6-12) and public colleges and universities, along with local school boards, school administrators, and college officials who currently oversee student publications and would need new written policies.

Student newspapers, yearbooks, and broadcasts at Georgia's public schools and colleges could carry more student-driven reporting and opinion without administrator sign-off, while teachers who support student journalists would gain job protection they currently lack when defending students' work.

• Section 3 adds a new article to Title 20 covering secondary schools, defining 'school sponsored media,' 'student journalist,' and 'student media adviser.'
• New Code Section 20-2-2140(b) gives student journalists control over news, opinion, feature, and advertising content in school sponsored media.
• Section 20-2-2140(c) bars secondary schools from retaliating against student media advisers who protect student journalists' rights or refuse to censor them.
• Section 20-2-2140(d) lists unprotected content: libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity, violations of law, or material creating a clear and present danger of substantial disruption.
• Section 20-2-2140(f) requires local school boards to adopt written policies on distribution and appeals procedures.
• Section 20-2-2140(g) allows lawsuits for injunctive or declaratory relief and lets courts award attorney's fees to a prevailing plaintiff.
• Section 4 adds a parallel Code Section 20-3-48.05 applying the same protections to public colleges and universities.
• Section 5 makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.

1. 2026-03-19House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-18House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-16House Hopper (House)

• Akbar Ali (D, HD-106)Primary sponsor
• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
• Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)

• student press freedom
• school policy
• higher education
• free speech
• education law