---
title: HB 198. Education; use of school facilities by certain youth groups; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb198
cite_as: HB 198, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69714
date: 2025-02-27
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb197.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb199.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 249
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 198
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-30
last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted
sponsors:
- Johnny Chastain
- Chuck Efstration
- Chris Erwin
- Rick Jasperse
- Stan Gunter
- Brad Thomas
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB198/2025
upstream_id: 1949630
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school facilities
- youth groups
- Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
- civic education
- local school systems
---
# HB 198. Education; use of school facilities by certain youth groups; provide
## Text
The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 198:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the use of local school system
facilities by certain youth groups; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and
secondary education, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-12, which is reserved, as
follows:
"20-2-12.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'patriotic society' means a youth group listed in
Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, including the Boy Scouts of
America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils and the Girl Scouts of the United
States of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils.
(b) To encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities
provided by a patriotic society for the purposes of encouraging civic education, each local
school system that uses state funds to implement programs pursuant to this chapter shall
not prohibit the use of such local school system's facilities by a patriotic society. When a
local school system denies a patriotic society access to a facility of such system, the
principal of the school where such facility is located shall provide in writing reasons for
the denial to a requesting entity. Reserved."
SECTION 2.
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 House committee substitute would require Georgia school districts that use state funds to let patriotic youth groups, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts affiliates, use school facilities, unless a principal explains in writing why access was denied.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently has an unused, reserved section in the state education code (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-12). This bill fills that section with new rules about youth groups using school buildings.
The bill defines a 'patriotic society' as a youth group listed in federal law (Title 36 of the United States Code) as a patriotic society, naming the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and their Georgia affiliates as examples. Any local school system that uses state funds for its programs would be barred from prohibiting such groups from using its facilities. If a school system does deny access, the principal of the specific school where the facility is located must give the requesting group written reasons for the denial. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date.
### What it does
- Fills in a previously reserved section of Georgia's education code (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-12) with new rules on school facility access.
- Defines 'patriotic society' as a youth group listed under federal law (Title 36 of the U.S. Code), naming Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA and their Georgia affiliates as examples.
- Bars local school systems that use state funds for chapter 2 programs from prohibiting patriotic societies from using their facilities.
- Requires a school principal to provide written reasons if a patriotic society is denied access to that school's facilities.
- Repeals any state laws that conflict with these new requirements.
### Who it affects
Local school systems and school principals across Georgia that use state funding for education programs, and patriotic youth groups such as Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA affiliates that seek to use school facilities for civic education activities.
### Why it matters
Youth groups like Scouts troops that want to meet or hold activities in school buildings would gain a stronger legal footing to request access, and schools that say no would have to put their reasoning in writing, creating a paper trail where none existed before.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-12, previously reserved, defining 'patriotic society' by reference to Title 36 of the United States Code and naming Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts affiliates as examples.
- Section 1 prohibits local school systems that use state funds for chapter 2 programs from denying patriotic societies use of their facilities.
- Section 1 requires the principal of the school where a facility is located to provide written reasons if access is denied.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause that does not itself create new rules.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-30)
- Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-02-27)
- Sponsors: Johnny Chastain, Chuck Efstration, Chris Erwin, Rick Jasperse, Stan Gunter, Brad Thomas
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69714
> The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb198.md?full=1