HB 419: Education; require possession of opioid antagonists by institutions within University System of Georgia

The bill as introduced would have required University System of Georgia institutions to keep opioid antagonists like naloxone on campus. The Senate Education and Youth Committee substitute reprinted here removes that subject entirely and instead rewrites several parts of Georgia's education code, mainly the promise scholarship program (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2B), which lets eligible families use state-funded accounts for private school tuition and other approved education expenses. The substitute tightens rules for private schools that are still working toward accreditation, requires online learning programs used with account funds to be physically located in Georgia, and repeals the State Board of Education's authority to approve extra qualified expenses, leaving that solely to the education savings authority. It also changes how account money is delivered (quarterly allocations instead of payments), lets the authority deduct up to 5 percent from accounts to cover administrative costs if state funding falls short, expands required fraud audits, and revises reporting deadlines and content for the scholarship program, the special needs scholarship program, and student attendance data. It also updates which public schools are excluded from the annual list of lowest-performing schools. The Act would take effect once signed by the Governor or becomes law without signature.

• Removes the bill's original subject (opioid antagonists at University System of Georgia institutions) and substitutes unrelated education savings account and reporting changes.
• Requires private schools still seeking accreditation to give the education savings authority yearly written proof of good-faith progress, and bars them from enrolling scholarship students if accreditation takes more than two years.
• Repeals the State Board of Education's power to approve extra qualified education expenses for promise scholarship accounts, leaving that authority only with the education savings authority.
• Changes how promise scholarship funds move: from quarterly 'payments' to quarterly 'allocations,' and removes the prior rule letting schools get a partial tuition payment to reserve a student's spot.
• Allows the education savings authority to deduct up to 5 percent annually from active scholarship accounts to cover administrative costs if the legislature does not fully fund them.
• Requires the authority to conduct fraud detection audits of at least 5 percent of scholarship accounts every year and expands what must appear in annual program reports.

Families using or applying for Georgia's promise scholarship (education savings account) program, private schools that enroll scholarship students (especially those still becoming accredited), the Office of Student Achievement, the Department of Education, the education savings authority, and local school systems tracking student attendance data.

Families relying on promise scholarship accounts would see changes in how and when funds reach schools, tighter rules on which private schools qualify, and a possible administrative fee taken from their accounts if lawmakers underfund the program. Reporting changes would also affect what data the public and legislature see each year about the program and school attendance.

• Section 1-1 shifts responsibility for the student attendance and school climate compliance report from the Department of Education to the Office of Student Achievement and changes the reporting schedule from even years by November 1 to every year by July 1.
• Section 2-1 expands the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship annual report to include demographic breakdowns and information on medical or behavioral conditions schools can accommodate.
• Section 3-1 requires online learning programs counted as qualified education expenses to be physically located in Georgia and requires schools still becoming accredited to submit annual proof of progress toward accreditation.
• Section 3-3 sets a two-year limit for a private school to become accredited while enrolling scholarship students, after which it becomes ineligible to enroll new participating students.
• Section 3-4 changes promise scholarship funding from quarterly 'payments' to quarterly 'fund allocations' and removes the prior partial reservation-payment option for schools.
• Section 3-5 requires the education savings authority to conduct fraud detection audits covering at least 5 percent of scholarship accounts annually.
• Section 3-5 lets the education savings authority deduct up to 5 percent annually from each active account to cover administrative costs not covered by state appropriations.
• Section 3-7 adds new categories of public schools excluded from the annual list of lowest-performing schools, including state-wide attendance zone schools, charter schools, special schools, and virtual-only schools.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-03-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
3. 2026-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
4. 2026-03-25Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted (Senate)
5. 2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2026-02-18House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2026-02-18House Third Readers (House)
8. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Charles Martin (R, HD-049)
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
• Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 18, 2026

   163 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 9 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #530

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• education savings accounts
• promise scholarship program
• private school accreditation
• school reporting requirements
• student attendance