---
title: HB 1592. Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1592
cite_as: HB 1592, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1592
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1592.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1592/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74322
date: 2026-03-25
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: 132
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1592.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1592
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-20
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Josh Bonner
- Karen Mathiak
- Scott Hilton
- Bryce Berry
- Phil Olaleye
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1592/2025
upstream_id: 2136807
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- student journalism
- press freedom
- school policy
- higher education
- free speech
---
# HB 1592. Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1592
By: Representatives Bonner of the 73rd, Mathiak of the 82nd, Hilton of the 48th, Berry of the
56th, and Olaleye of the 59th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
require certain schools and public institutions of higher education to recognize certain rights
for student journalists; to provide for protections for student media advisers; to provide for
limitations; to provide for written policies; to provide for proceedings and injunctive relief;
to provide for legislative findings, declarations, and intent; to provide for definitions; to
provide for construction; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide
for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) Freedom of expression through school sponsored media is a fundamental principle in
our democratic society granted under the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution and Paragraph V of Section I of Article I of the Georgia Constitution;
(2) A robust and free student press is critical to the development of informed and civic
minded adults;
(3) Student journalists are denied the right to free expression guaranteed to other students,
and their work is subject to censorship in circumstances where other student speech would
not be restricted; and
(4) Teachers who defend their students' freedom of expression do so at great professional
risk.
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to restore and protect the freedom of expression
through school sponsored media for public school students and institution sponsored media
for students at public institutions of higher education in this state. Further, it is the intent of
the General Assembly to protect the jobs of the teachers who appropriately support these
rights so as to encourage students to become educated, informed, and responsible members
of society.
SECTION 2.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Journalist Press Freedom
Restoration Act."
SECTION 3.
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in
Chapter 2, relating to elementary and secondary school education, by adding a new article
to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 35
20-2-2140.
(a) As used in this article the term:
(1) 'School' means any public or private school in this state with any of grades six
through 12 and which receives state funding.
(2) 'School sponsored media' means any material that is prepared, substantially written,
published, or broadcast, in any media, by a student journalist under the direction of a
student media adviser and distributed or generally made available to members of the
student body. Such term does not include media intended for distribution or transmission
for classroom purposes only.
(3) 'Student journalist' means a student at a school who gathers, compiles, writes, edits,
photographs, records, or prepares information for inclusion in school sponsored media.
(4) 'Student media adviser' means an individual employed, appointed, or designated by
a school to supervise or provide instruction relating to school sponsored media.
(b)(1) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, a student journalist shall
have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school sponsored media
regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the student journalist's school,
uses the facilities of the school, or is produced in conjunction with a course or class in
which the student journalist is enrolled.
(2) A student journalist shall be responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature,
and advertising content of school sponsored media.
(3) Student media advisers may teach professional standards of English and journalism
to student journalists consistent with this subsection.
(4) A student journalist shall not be disciplined for acting in accordance with this Code
section.
(5) No expression made by a student journalist in the exercise of the freedom of speech
or freedom of the press shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy, and no local
school system, school, or any official, administrator, or employee thereof shall be held
responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by a
student journalist.
(c) A student media adviser shall not be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned,
transferred, or otherwise retaliated against for:
(1) Refusing to infringe on conduct that is protected by this Code section, the First
Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Paragraph V of Section I of Article I
of the Georgia Constitution; or
(2) Acting to protect a student journalist engaged in permissible conduct under
subsection (b) of this Code section, the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution, or Paragraph V of Section I of Article I of the Georgia Constitution.
(d)(1) This Code section shall not authorize or protect expression by a student journalist
that:
(A) Is libelous or slanderous;
(B) Constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy;
(C) Is obscene;
(D) Violates federal or state law; or
(E) So incites students to create a clear and present danger of the commission of an
unlawful act, the violation of a lawful school district policy, or the material and
substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.
(2) School officials, administrators, and employees shall base a forecast of material and
substantial disruption on specific facts, including past experience in the school and
current events influencing student behavior, and not on undifferentiated fear or
apprehension.
(e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as authorizing the publication of an
advertisement in school sponsored media that promotes the purchase of a product or service
that is unlawful for purchase or use.
(f) There shall be no prior restraint of material prepared for official school publications,
except for material that violates the standards of subsection (d) of this Code section.
(g) Each local board of education and other school governing body shall adopt a written
policy for the exercise of the right of student journalists to freedom of speech and freedom
of the press in school sponsored media in accordance with this Code section, including:
(1) Reasonable provisions for the time, place, and manner of distribution of student
expression; and
(2) A provision allowing for the timely appeal within the school's organization of
decisions made pursuant to this Code section.
(h)(1) Any student, individually or through a parent or guardian, or any student media
adviser, on behalf of himself or herself, may institute proceedings for injunctive or
declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the rights provided in
this Code section.
(2) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to create any private action other than
to seek injunctive relief allowing the publication of the speech in question.
(3) A court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a plaintiff that prevails."
SECTION 4.
Said title is further amended in Part 1D of Article 2 of Chapter 3, relating to forming open
and robust university minds in postsecondary education, by adding a new Code section to
read as follows:
"20-3-48.05.
(a) As used in this Code the term:
(1) 'Institution sponsored media' means any material that is prepared, substantially
written, published or broadcast, in any media, by a student journalist under the direction
of a student media adviser and distributed or generally made available to members of the
student body. Such term does not include media intended for distribution or transmission
for classroom purposes only.
(2) 'Public institution of higher education' or 'institution' shall have the same meaning as
set forth in Code Section 20-3-48.
(3) 'Student journalist' means a student at an institution of higher education who gathers,
compiles, writes, edits, photographs, records, or prepares information for inclusion in
institution sponsored media.
(4) 'Student media adviser' means an individual employed, appointed, or designated by
a public institution of higher education to supervise or provide instruction relating to
institution sponsored media.
(b)(1) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, a student journalist shall
have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in institution sponsored
media regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the public institution
of higher education, uses the facilities of the institution, or is produced in conjunction
with a course or class in which the student journalist is enrolled.
(2) A student journalist shall be responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature,
and advertising content of institution sponsored media.
(3) Student media advisers may teach professional standards of English and journalism
to student journalists consistent with this subsection.
(4) A student journalist shall not be disciplined for acting in accordance with this Code
section.
(5) No expression made by a student journalist in the exercise of the freedom of speech
or freedom of the press shall be deemed to be an expression of institution policy, and no
institution or its officials, administrators, or employees shall be held responsible in any
civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by a student journalist.
(c) A student media adviser shall not be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned,
transferred, or otherwise retaliated against for:
(1) Refusing to infringe on conduct that is protected by this Code section, the First
Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Paragraph V of Section I of Article I
of the Georgia Constitution; or
(2) Acting to protect a student journalist engaged in permissible conduct under
subsection (b) of this Code section, the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution, or Paragraph V of Section I of Article I of the Georgia Constitution.
(d)(1) This Code section shall not authorize or protect expression by a student journalist
that:
(A) Is libelous or slanderous;
(B) Constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy;
(C) Is obscene;
(D) Violates federal or state law; or
(E) So incites students to create a clear and present danger of the commission of an
unlawful act, the violation of a lawful institution policy, or the material and substantial
disruption of the orderly operation of the institution.
(2) Administrators shall base a forecast of material and substantial disruption on specific
facts, including past experience in the institution and current events influencing student
behavior, and not on undifferentiated fear or apprehension.
(e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as authorizing the publication of an
advertisement in institution sponsored media that promotes the purchase of a product or
service that is unlawful for purchase or use.
(f) There shall be no prior restraint of material prepared for official institution publications,
except for material that violates the standards of subsection (d) of this Code section.
(g) Each institution shall adopt a written policy for the exercise of the right of student
journalists to freedom of speech and freedom of the press in institution sponsored media
in accordance with this Code section, including:
(1) Reasonable provisions for the time, place, and manner of distribution of student
expression; and
(2) A provision allowing for the timely appeal within any institution of decisions made
pursuant to this Code section.
(h)(1) Any student journalist, individually or through a parent or guardian, or any student
media adviser, on behalf of himself or herself, may institute proceedings for injunctive
or declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the rights provided
in this Code section.
(2) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to create any private action other than
to seek injunctive relief allowing the publication of the speech in question.
(3) A court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a plaintiff that prevails."
SECTION 5.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 6.
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 give student journalists at public and private schools serving grades six through 12, and at public colleges and universities, the right to control the content of school sponsored media, and would protect the advisers who support them from retaliation.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, school officials in Georgia have broad power to review and restrict what student newspapers, broadcasts, and other school sponsored media publish. This bill, called the Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act, would change that by giving student journalists in grades six through 12 and at public colleges and universities the right to decide the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of their school or institution sponsored media, without prior review, except for content that is libelous, invades privacy, is obscene, breaks the law, or would cause a real disruption to the school.
The bill also protects student media advisers, the teachers or staff who supervise this media, from being fired, disciplined, or transferred for refusing to censor student work or for defending a student's rights under the bill. Schools and colleges would have to adopt written policies covering how and when student media can be distributed, and students or advisers could sue for a court order (injunctive relief) if their rights are violated, with the possibility of recovering attorney's fees. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.
### What it does
- Gives student journalists in grades six through 12 and at public colleges the right to decide the content of school sponsored media without administrator censorship in most cases.
- Protects student media advisers from being fired, disciplined, reassigned, or retaliated against for defending student journalists' rights or refusing to censor them.
- Lists specific exceptions where schools can still restrict student media, including libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity, illegal content, or material likely to cause a substantial disruption.
- Requires local school boards and public colleges to adopt written policies covering the timing and manner of distributing student media and how to appeal decisions.
- Allows students or advisers to sue in court for an injunction or declaratory relief if their rights under the bill are violated, and lets courts award attorney's fees to the winning plaintiff.
- States the law takes effect immediately once signed by the Governor.
### Who it affects
Student journalists and student media advisers at Georgia public and private schools with grades six through 12 that receive state funding, as well as students and advisers at public colleges and universities. Local school boards, school administrators, and public higher education institutions would also be affected because they must adopt new written policies.
### Why it matters
If enacted, school administrators would lose much of their current authority to review and block student newspaper or broadcast content before publication, and teachers who back their students' reporting would gain job protection. Georgians would see student media operate with more editorial independence, subject to narrower legal exceptions than before.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 states legislative findings that student journalists currently face censorship that other students do not, and that advisers who support them risk their jobs.
- Section 3 adds new Code Section 20-2-2140 to Title 20, defining 'school sponsored media,' 'student journalist,' and 'student media adviser' for grades six through 12 and giving student journalists content control.
- Section 3 lists exceptions in subsection (d) where speech is not protected: libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity, illegal content, or material causing substantial disruption, and requires disruption forecasts to be based on specific facts, not vague fear.
- Section 3 requires local school boards to adopt written policies on distribution and appeals, and allows lawsuits for injunctive relief with possible attorney's fees for prevailing plaintiffs.
- Section 4 adds parallel protections and requirements as new Code Section 20-3-48.05 for student journalists and advisers at public institutions of higher education.
- Section 5 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law.
- Section 6 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-03-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Josh Bonner, Karen Mathiak, Scott Hilton, Bryce Berry, Phil Olaleye
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74322
> The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1592.md?full=1