HB 173: Education, Department of; provide parents and guardians of students entering sixth grade information regarding adolescent vaccinations in print and electronic form

Georgia law already requires schools to share information about meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines with parents of certain students. This bill rewrites that law (O.C.G.A. section 20-2-778) to add a new requirement: starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education must give all parents and guardians of students entering seventh grade information about recommended adolescent vaccines for meningococcal meningitis, HPV, and TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). This information can be given in print, electronic form, or both, and must explain what each vaccine does, list sources for more information, and include recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The bill also shifts an existing rule about local school boards from covering grades six through 12 to grades seven through 12, and requires the Department of Education to post the required information on its public website, working with the Department of Public Health.

• Requires the Department of Education to give parents and guardians of incoming seventh graders information on vaccines for meningitis, HPV, and TDAP starting in the 2025-2026 school year.
• Specifies that the vaccine information must explain how each vaccine works, list additional sources, and include federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations.
• Changes an existing rule for local school boards that share health information, moving the covered grade range from six through 12 to seven through 12.
• Directs the Department of Education, working with the Department of Public Health, to post the required vaccine information on its public website.

Parents and guardians of students entering seventh grade in Georgia public schools, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, and local boards of education that already share student health information.

Georgia families with children entering seventh grade would receive standardized state information about three specific adolescent vaccines rather than relying only on what individual schools or districts choose to share, and the same information would be posted publicly online.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. section 20-2-778 so subsection (a) requires the Department of Education to inform parents and guardians of incoming seventh graders about meningococcal meningitis, HPV, and TDAP vaccines beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
• The new subsection (a) requires the information to cover how each vaccine prevents disease, list additional sources, and cite recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
• The rule for local school boards sharing health information now applies to grades seven through 12 instead of six through 12.
• The Department of Education, with the Department of Public Health, must develop the required information and post it on its public website.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-02-10House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
4. 2025-02-03House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-30House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-01-29House Hopper (House)

• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)Primary sponsor
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-45)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
• Noel Williams, Jr. (R, HD-148)

• adolescent vaccinations
• school health
• student health information
• HPV vaccine
• meningitis vaccine