The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following
substitute to HB 200:
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 require that each new
elementary school constructed on or after July 1, 2027, shall include a playground meeting
certain standards; to provide playground design standards and minimum guidelines; to
provide for the State Board of Education to establish a three-year pilot immersive writing
program for eligible public elementary schools; to provide for eligibility; to provide for grant
funds for eligible public elementary schools to develop and implement immersive writing
programs for students in grades two through five; to provide for applications and selection
to participate in the pilot program; to provide for assessment and reporting on the impacts
of the pilot program; to authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and
regulations to implement the pilot program; to provide for automatic repeal; 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.
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and
secondary education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-261, relating to common minimum
facility requirements, by revising subsection (a) as follows:
"(a) The State Board of Education shall establish common minimum facility requirements
which each public school facility <del>must</del> <ins>shall</ins> meet in order to be certified for use in any
component of the educational or recreational program of <del>that</del> <ins>such</ins> school. Such minimum
requirements shall:
<ins>(1) Include such</ins> <del>include those</del> provisions of law or state board policy on matters that
relate to:
<ins>(A) Fire</ins> <del>fire</del> and physical safety;
<ins>(B) Sanitation</ins> <del>sanitation</del> and health, including temperature and ventilation;
<ins>(C) Minimum</ins> <del>minimum</del> space, size, and configuration for the various components of
the instructional program; and
<ins>(D) Construction</ins> <del>construction</del> stability, quality, and suitability for intended uses;. <del>Such
minimum requirements shall not
</del> <ins>(2) Not</ins> prohibit wood construction that is otherwise in compliance with state minimum
standard codes as they existed on January 1, 2014. <del>As used in this subsection, the term
'state minimum standard codes' shall have the same meaning as in paragraph (9) of Code
Section 8-2-20;</del> <ins>and
(3) Provide that the construction of each new elementary school commenced on or after
July 1, 2027, shall include a playground which meets the following design standards:
(A) Provides a sensory-diverse environment that enables children of all abilities to
develop physically, socially, and emotionally;
(B) Provides an engaging play space with age and ability-appropriate levels of
challenge and offers opportunities for children of all abilities to succeed, regardless of
physical and intellectual attributes;
</ins>
<ins>(C) Enables all students to benefit from state mandated recess time for elementary
students;
(D) Capable for use as an outdoor classroom that is open to all students; and
(E) Meets the following minimum guidelines:
(i) Playground is accessible via a sidewalk or pathway from the school;
(ii) Playground is a minimum of 10,000 square feet in area;
(iii) Fencing surrounds and encloses the entire playground area;
(iv) A minimum of 20 percent of the total playground area shall be shaded; provided,
however, that such shaded area may comprise more than one area so long as the total
shaded area meets or exceeds 20 percent of the total playground area; and, provided,
further, that such shading may be provided by natural means, such as existing mature
trees, or man-made means, such as sun canopies;
(v) Unitary surfacing shall be used throughout at least 80 percent of the playground
area. Examples of unitary surfacing include, but are not limited to, turf, bonded
rubber, and poured in place rubber; and
(vi) Components that are installed on a portion of the playground with the unitary
surfacing and accessible for all users that address the physical, sensory, cognitive,
social, emotional, imaginative, and communication needs of those who will visit the
playground, including, but not limited to:
(I) One communication board;
(II) One learning American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet panel or one learning
Braille alphabet panel;
(III) One roller slide;
(IV) A minimum of two pieces of equipment that make music, such as chimes,
drums, and bells;
(V) A minimum of two adaptive or accessible swings;
</ins>
<ins>(VI) A minimum of one play piece accessible to a child remaining in a wheelchair
that allows such child to play with other children;
(VII) A minimum of four sensory panels; and
(VIII) A minimum of one wheelchair accessible raised structure or wheelchair
accessible slide."
</ins> SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by designating Code Sections 20-2-330 through 20-2-334
as Part 1 and by adding a new part to read as follows:
<ins>"Part 2
20-2-335.
(a)(1) The State Board of Education shall establish a pilot immersive writing program
for students in grades two through five in order to:
(A) Provide funding for all public school students in grades two through five to
participate in programs that provide for immersive writing experiences that are aligned
with writing standards established by the State Board of Education and can be
integrated into existing curricula;
(B) Improve literacy skills of elementary school students and motivate them to engage
in writing projects; and
(C) Study the impacts of such pilot writing program.
(2) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the pilot program shall include
funding for up to $2 million in grants each school year, for up to three school years
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, to participating public elementary schools.
(3) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, a public elementary school shall:
(A) Serve students in any grades two through five; and
</ins>
<ins>(B) By January 1, 2026, submit an application to participate in the pilot program,
which application shall include such school's statement of intent for the use of grant
funds.
(4) The State Board of Education shall establish pilot program requirements and criteria
for selecting eligible public schools to participate in the pilot program in accordance with
the provisions of this Code section.
(5) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to establish reporting requirements
for the public schools participating in the pilot program.
(6) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Code section.
(b)(1) By October 1, 2025, the Department of Education shall develop an application
process and seek applications from eligible public schools for the pilot program to be
submitted no later than January 1, 2026.
(2)(A) The Department of Education shall monitor and annually assess the status of the
pilot program with cooperation and input from the public schools and local school
systems participating in the pilot program.
(B) Beginning no later than June 1, 2027, and by June 1 of each year thereafter, the
Department of Education shall provide to the State Board of Education a report of the
annual assessment provided for in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(c) This Code section shall stand repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2029."
</ins> SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-12, which is reserved, as
follows:
"20-2-12.
<ins>(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
</ins>
<ins>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 is
encouraged to permit 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.</ins> <del>Reserved."
</del> SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.