---
title: HB 293. Education; Protect Students First Act; repeal various provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb293
cite_as: HB 293, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb293
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb293.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb293/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69963
date: 2025-02-10
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb293.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 293
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-05
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Tanya Miller
  - Doreen Carter
  - Lydia Glaize
  - Inga Willis
  - Bryce Berry
  - Mekyah McQueen
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB293/2025
upstream_id: 1958433
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - divisive concepts
  - teacher certification
  - education policy
  - Protect Students First Act
  - school training programs
---

# HB 293. Education; Protect Students First Act; repeal various provisions

## Text

House Bill 293
By: Representatives Miller of the 62nd, Carter of the 93rd, Glaize of the 67th, Willis of the 55th,
Berry of the 56th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
repeal various provisions of the “Protect Students First Act,” enacted by Ga. L. 2022, p.136,
relating to divisive concepts; to repeal Code Section 20-1-11, relating to advocating for
divisive concepts, prohibition on discrimination, practice of tolerance and mutual respect
encouraged, complaint resolution policies, inspection of records, and waivers prohibited; to
repeal a provision which prohibits basing certification and classification of certain
professional personnel upon completion of training programs which advocate for certain
concepts; to repeal a provision which prohibits certain performance standards and the code
of ethics for educators to require completion of training programs which advocate for certain
concepts; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in
Article 1 of Chapter 1, relating to general provisions, by repealing Code Section 20-2-11,
relating to advocating for divisive concepts, prohibition on discrimination, practice of
tolerance and mutual respect encouraged, complaint resolution policies, inspection of
records, and waivers prohibited, in its entirety.
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to
certificated professional personnel in elementary and secondary education, by revising
subsection (a) and paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-200, relating to
regulation of certificated professional personnel by Professional Standards Commission,
rules and regulations, and fees, as follows:
"(a) The Professional Standards Commission shall provide, by regulation, for certifying
and classifying all certificated professional personnel employed in the public schools of
this state, including personnel who provide virtual instruction to public schools of this state,
whether such personnel are located within or outside of this state or whether such personnel
are employed by a local unit of administration. <del>Such certification and classification shall
not be dependent in whole or in part upon an individual participating in or completing any
training program in which divisive concepts, as such term is defined in Code Section
20-1-11, are advocated for.</del> No such personnel shall be employed in the public schools of
this state unless they hold certificates issued by the commission certifying their
qualifications and classification in accordance with such regulations. The commission
shall establish such number of classifications of other certificated professional personnel
as it may find reasonably necessary or desirable for the operation of the public schools;
provided, however, that such classifications shall be based only upon academic, technical,
and professional training, experience, and competency of such personnel. The commission
is authorized to provide for denying a certificate to an applicant, suspending or revoking
a certificate, or otherwise disciplining the holder of a certificate for good cause after an
investigation is held and notice and an opportunity for a hearing are provided the certificate
holder or applicant in accordance with subsection (d) of Code Section 20-2-984.5. The
commission shall designate and define the various classifications of professional personnel
employed in the public schools of this state that shall be required to be certificated under
this Code section or under Code Section 20-2-206. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the term 'certificated professional personnel' means all professional personnel
certificated by the commission and county or regional librarians.
(b)(1) The Professional Standards Commission shall establish rules and regulations for
appropriate requirements and procedures to ensure high-quality certification standards
for all Georgia educators while facilitating the interstate mobility of out-of-state certified
educators; <del>provided, however, that such rules, regulations, requirements, and procedures
shall not require an individual to participate in or complete any training program in which
divisive concepts, as such term is defined in Code Section 20-1-11, are advocated for."
</del> SECTION 3.
Said title is further amended in Subpart 1A of Part 2 of Article 16 of Chapter 2, relating to
improved student learning environment and discipline in elementary and secondary
education, by revising Code Section 20-2-739, relating to conflict management and
resolution and cultural diversity training programs, as follows:
"20-2-739.
On and after July 1, 2000, the Department of Education shall provide training programs in
conflict management and resolution and in cultural diversity for voluntary implementation
by local boards of education for school employees, parents and guardians, and students;
<del>provided, however, that after July 1, 2022, such training programs shall not advocate for
divisive concepts, as such term is defined in Code Section 20-1-11."
</del> SECTION 4.
Said title is further amended in Part 10 of Article 17 of Chapter 2, relating to professional
standards in elementary and secondary education, by revising subsection (a) of Code
Section 20-2-984, relating to Professional Standards Commission — authority to create and
implement standards and procedures for certifying educational personnel, recommending
standards and procedures for certification, continuation of teaching certificates, and
restrictions, as follows:
"(a) The commission shall create and implement standards and procedures for certifying
educational personnel as qualified for a certificate to practice in the public schools of
Georgia.; <del>provided, however, that such standards and procedures shall not require an
individual to participate in or complete any training program in which divisive concepts,
as such term is defined in Code Section 20-1-11, are advocated for; provided, further, that
such</del> <ins>Such</ins> standards <ins>and procedures</ins> shall include the following:
(1) Procedures for limiting the number and types of certificates to the fewest possible
consistent with providing qualified teachers for Georgia's schools;
(2) In-service training and related requirements needed to renew or maintain
certification;
(3) Multiple or alternative routes to professional teacher certification, including, but not
limited to, the alternative and nontraditional teacher certification programs provided for
in Code Section 20-2-206; provided, however, that the commission's standards and
procedures consider for in-state certification nationally accredited teacher certification
programs outside of this state which are state sponsored and meet the academic
accreditation and certification requirements of the commission; and
(4)(A) Requirements, including appropriate examinations and assessments, for
acquiring and maintaining certification pursuant to Code Section 20-2-200.
(B) Beginning July 1, 2025, the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators
(GACE), or any other assessment required by the commission for teacher certification,
shall be aligned with developmentally appropriate evidence based literacy instruction."
SECTION 5.
Said title is further amended in Part 10 of Article 17 of Chapter 2, relating to professional
standards in elementary and secondary education, by revising subsection (a) of Code
Section 20-2-984.1, relating to Professional Standards Commission — adoption of standards
of performance and a code of ethics, as follows:
"(a) It shall be the duty of the commission, by regulation, to adopt standards of
performance and a code of ethics for educators. The standards of performance and code
of ethics shall represent standards of performance and conduct which are generally
accepted by educators of this state. In adopting regulations as provided in this Code
section, the commission shall seek the advice of educators of this state. The standards of
performance and code of ethics adopted by the commission shall be limited to professional
performance and professional ethics. <del>The standards of performance and code of ethics
adopted by the commission shall not require an individual to participate in or complete any
training program in which divisive concepts, as such term is defined in Code Section
20-1-11, are advocated for."
</del> SECTION 6.
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.

House Bill 293 would repeal Georgia's 'Protect Students First Act,' removing the state's ban on schools training staff or requiring certification tied to what the law calls 'divisive concepts.'

### Plain-language summary

In 2022 Georgia enacted the Protect Students First Act, which defined certain 'divisive concepts' and barred public schools, teacher certification standards, and educator training programs from advocating for them. This bill would undo that law. It repeals Code Section 20-2-11, which laid out the divisive concepts ban, discrimination protections, and complaint procedures. It also strips out related language from several other education code sections that tied teacher certification, professional standards, ethics codes, and state-run diversity and conflict resolution training to the divisive concepts restriction.
Specifically, the bill removes the restriction from rules governing how the Professional Standards Commission certifies and classifies teachers, from the commission's certification standards and procedures, from its code of ethics for educators, and from Department of Education training programs on conflict management and cultural diversity that have run since 2000. The bill does not add any new requirements; it only removes existing restrictions.

### What it does

- Repeals Code Section 20-1-11 (referenced as 20-2-11 in Section 1), which defined divisive concepts and barred schools from advocating for them.
- Removes language in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200 that barred teacher certification and classification from depending on completing training programs that advocate divisive concepts.
- Removes language in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-739 that barred state-run conflict management and cultural diversity training programs from advocating divisive concepts after July 1, 2022.
- Removes language in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-984 that barred the Professional Standards Commission's certification standards from requiring divisive concepts training.
- Removes language in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-984.1 that barred the commission's code of ethics for educators from requiring divisive concepts training.

### Who it affects

Georgia public school teachers and other certificated school personnel, the Professional Standards Commission, the Department of Education, local school boards, and students and parents who take part in state-run conflict management and cultural diversity training programs.

### Why it matters

If enacted, Georgia would no longer have a statewide legal definition of 'divisive concepts' or a ban on schools, teacher certification rules, and training programs advocating for them, changing what the Professional Standards Commission and Department of Education can require or offer in educator training and certification.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 repeals Code Section 20-2-11 in its entirety, eliminating the divisive concepts definition, discrimination prohibition, complaint resolution policies, and record inspection rules.
- Section 2 removes from O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200 the provision tying teacher certification and classification to completing (or not completing) divisive concepts training.
- Section 3 removes from O.C.G.A. § 20-2-739 the post-2022 restriction on Department of Education conflict management and cultural diversity training programs.
- Section 4 removes from O.C.G.A. § 20-2-984 the restriction on Professional Standards Commission certification standards, while keeping a July 1, 2025 literacy-alignment requirement for the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators.
- Section 5 removes from O.C.G.A. § 20-2-984.1 the restriction on the commission's code of ethics for educators.
- Section 6 repeals all conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-05)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-10)
- Sponsors: Tanya Miller, Doreen Carter, Lydia Glaize, Inga Willis, Bryce Berry, Mekyah McQueen
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69963

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb293.md?full=1