Georgia General Assembly · Full text

HB 1592: Student Journalist Press Freedom Restoration Act; enact

Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 25, 2026 · Introduced

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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;

(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:

(A) Is libelous or slanderous;

(B) Constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy;

(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.