--- title: HB 173. Education, Department of; provide parents and guardians of students entering sixth grade information regarding adolescent vaccinations in print and electronic form collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb173 cite_as: HB 173, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb173 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb173.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb173/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69650 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb172.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb174.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 299 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb173.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 173 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-29 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Darlene Taylor - Sharon Cooper - Mark Newton - Gerald Greene - Angie O'Steen - Noel Williams text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB173/2025 upstream_id: 1947560 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - adolescent vaccinations - school health policy - middle school students - public health notifications --- # HB 173. Education, Department of; provide parents and guardians of students entering sixth grade information regarding adolescent vaccinations in print and electronic form ## Text 25 LC 57 0233S The House Committee on Public and Community Health offers the f ollowing substitute to HB 173: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O fficial Code of Georgia1 Annotated, relating to student health in elementary and secondary education, so as to require2 the Department of Education to provide to parents and guardians of students entering the3 seventh grade information regarding recommended adolescent vacc inations in print or4 electronic form; to provide for related matters; to repeal conf licting laws; and for other5 purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official C ode of Georgia Annotated,9 relating to student health in elementary and secondary educatio n, is amended by revising10 Code Section 20-2-778, relating to required information to pare nts of students regarding11 meningococcal meningitis and influenza and their respective vaccines, as follows:12 "20-2-778.13 (a) Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education shall provide14 all parents and guardians of students entering the seventh grad e with information on15 recommended adolescent vaccinations for meningococcal meningiti s disease, human16 H. B. 173 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 57 0233S papillomavirus (HPV), and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDAP). Such information17 shall be provided in print form, electronic form, or both print and electronic form and shall18 include:19 (1) Information on each vaccine and how it prevents the associated disease or diseases;20 (2) A list of sources for additional information; and21 (3) Related recommendations issued by the Advisory Committee o n Immunization22 Practices of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.23 (b) If a local board of education provides information on immuniz ations, infectious24 diseases, medications, or other school health issues to parents and guardians of students in25 grades six seven through 12, then the following in formation about meningococcal26 meningitis disease and influenza and their respective vaccines shall be included:27 (1) A description of causes, symptoms, and means of transmission;28 (2) A list of sources for additional information; and29 (3) Related recommendations issued by the Advisory Committee o n Immunization30 Practices of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.31 (b)(c) The Department of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Public Health,32 shall develop and make available to local school systems the information about33 meningococcal meningitis disease and influenza and their respec tive vaccines to local34 school systems as required under subsection subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section35 in an efficient manner that shall include posting the information on its public website."36 SECTION 2.37 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.38 H. B. 173 (SUB) - 2 - ## 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 require the Department of Education to give parents of students entering seventh grade printed or electronic information about recommended adolescent vaccines, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law already requires the Department of Education to share some health information with parents of students moving into middle school. This bill rewrites that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-778) to expand what parents receive and when. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education would have to give all parents and guardians of students entering seventh grade information on three recommended adolescent vaccines: meningococcal meningitis, HPV, and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). The information must be provided in print, electronic form, or both, and must explain how each vaccine works, list places to find more information, and note related recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory group. The bill also keeps a related rule for local school boards that already share health information with parents in grades seven through 12 about meningitis and flu, and directs the Department of Education to work with the Department of Public Health to prepare and post this material online. ### What it does - Requires the Department of Education to give parents of students entering seventh grade (previously sixth grade) information on recommended adolescent vaccines, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. - Expands the required vaccine information to cover meningococcal meningitis, HPV, and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), not just meningitis and influenza. - Specifies the information must include how each vaccine prevents disease, sources for more information, and relevant CDC advisory recommendations. - Allows the information to be delivered in print, electronic form, or both. - Directs the Department of Education and the Department of Public Health to jointly prepare this material and post it on the department's public website. - Keeps a related requirement for local school boards that already share health information with parents in grades seven through 12 about meningitis and flu. ### Who it affects Parents and guardians of students entering seventh grade in Georgia public schools, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, and local school boards that distribute student health information in grades seven through 12. ### Why it matters Parents would receive standardized, state-prepared information about three adolescent vaccines before their child starts seventh grade, helping them make more informed decisions about vaccination. Schools and state agencies would take on new duties to prepare, distribute, and post this material starting in the 2025-2026 school year. ### Key provisions - Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-2-778 to shift the required parent notification from sixth grade to seventh grade, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. - Subsection (a) lists the three vaccines covered: meningococcal meningitis, HPV, and Tdap, and requires the information to explain how each vaccine prevents disease. - Subsection (a) also requires a list of additional information sources and any related recommendations from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. - Subsection (b) continues the existing rule that local boards sharing health information with parents in grades seven through 12 must include meningitis and flu details if they choose to distribute such information. - Subsection (c) requires the Department of Education, working with the Department of Public Health, to develop this material and post it on the department's public website. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-29) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Darlene Taylor, Sharon Cooper, Mark Newton, Gerald Greene, Angie O'Steen, Noel Williams - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69650 > The history, votes, and amendments (299 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb173.md?full=1