---
title: HB 442. Education; students shall not be counted absent from school due to performing in certain productions; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb442
cite_as: HB 442, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb442
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb442.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb442/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70314
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 235
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb442.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 442
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-13
last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted
sponsors:
  - Teddy Reese
  - Ron Stephens
  - Rick Townsend
  - Rhonda Burnough
  - Tangie Herring
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB442/2025
upstream_id: 1970376
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - school attendance
  - child performers
  - education law
  - student privacy
  - child labor
---

# HB 442. Education; students shall not be counted absent from school due to performing in certain productions; provisions

## Text

25 LC 49 2237
House Bill 442
By: Representatives Reese of the 140 th, Stephens of the 164 th, Townsend of the 179 th,
Burnough of the 77th, and Herring of the 145th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of1
Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance for studen ts in elementary and2
secondary education, so as to provide that student performers s hall not be counted absent3
from school due to performing in certain productions, subject t o certain conditions, for no4
more than all or part of 25 school days; to provide that the in struction and related services5
provided by a studio teacher to a student performer are aligned with the curriculum and6
content standards being delivered at the student performer's sc hool under certain7
circumstances; to provide for performance certification forms and certification; to authorize8
the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Department of Education, to develop such9
certification forms and promulgate rules and regulations; to pr ovide for authorizations by10
parents or guardians relating to the education records of student performers; to provide for11
definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:13
H. B. 442
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25 LC 49 2237
SECTION 1.14
Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of t he Official Code of Georgia15
Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance for students in el ementary and secondary16
education, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:17
"20-2-692.4.18
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:19
(1) 'Child labor coordinator' means the person who is designated by the employing unit20
as responsible for the coordination and safety of the student performer, including, but not21
limited to, ensuring that the student performer is provided instruction and related services22
by a studio teacher.23
(2) 'Employing unit' means the person, agency, association, co mpany, corporation,24
group, or other organization using the services of a student performer.25
(3) 'Performance' or 'performing' means participation in a production that is available to26
the public, will be made available to the public, or is intended to be made available to the27
public.28
(4) 'Production' means a work that is being presented, will be presented, or is intended29
to be presented by way of, but not limited to, the following: s tage, screen, television,30
internet, digital recording, video tape, audio tape, still phot ographic or phonographic31
recording of any kind, open air, or runway modeling. A product ion shall include an32
exhibition, as defined by the Department of Labor, but shall not include any participation33
or performance related to a production or exhibition produced e xclusively by a public34
school, private school, or religious organization if such public school, private school, or35
religious organization has not been issued a current employing unit certification by the36
Department of Labor.37
(5) 'Student performer' means a person under 18 years of age who is enrolled in a public38
pre-kindergarten program or elementary or secondary school loca ted in this state, who39
has been issued a current minor's certification by the Departme nt of Labor or current40
H. B. 442
- 2 -
25 LC 49 2237
written consent by the Commissioner of Labor as provided in Code Section 39-2-18, and41
who is performing in a production. Such term shall also mean a person over the age of 1842
who is currently enrolled in a public secondary school located in this state and who is43
performing in a production.44
(6) 'Studio teacher' means a person who is certified as a studio teacher by the Department45
of Labor, who holds a valid five-year induction or professional certificate issued by the46
Georgia Professional Standards Commission, or who meets the requirements of rules or47
regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education for providing instruction and48
related services to student performers.49
(b) For no more than all or part of 25 school days, a student performer who is performing50
during all or part of such allocated school days shall be credited as present by the school51
and shall not be counted as absent, either excused or unexcused, for all or part of any day52
missed from school due to such performance that is included on a performance certification53
completed by the student performer's parent or guardian and the child labor coordinator or54
studio teacher assigned to the st udent performer using a perfor mance certification form55
promulgated by the Department of Labor for this purpose. Subje ct to the provisions of56
paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Code section, such performance certification shall57
clearly describe the curriculum and content standards that were included in the instruction58
and related services provided to the student performer by the s tudio teacher. Such59
performance certification shall be submitted to an official of the student performer's school60
upon such student performer's return to school after the performance which is the subject61
of the performance certification. A single performance certification may be provided for62
a performance that continues for consecutive school days on a single production.63
(c)(1) Parents or guardians, studio teachers, child labor coor dinators, and employing64
units are each responsible for ensuring that the instruction and related services provided65
to a student performer by a studio teacher are appropriate based on consideration of such66
H. B. 442
- 3 -
25 LC 49 2237
student performer's age, grade level, and competency in reading , writing, and67
mathematics aligned with the content standards adopted by the State Board of Education.68
(2) Whenever a student performer is engaged in a performance f or three consecutive69
school days or longer, regardless of how long the production was originally intended to70
be, employing units and child labor coordinators shall be responsible for ensuring that the71
instruction and related services provided to a student performe r by a studio teacher72
include appropriate curriculum and content standards that are aligned with the curriculum73
and content standards being delivered at the student performer's school regardless of such74
student performer's age, and the studio teacher shall be responsible for coordinating with75
the student performer's school teachers to ensure appropriate instructional materials and76
resources, including, but not limited to, lessons, assignments, and assessments that are77
aligned with the school's curriculum and content standards, are being used with the78
student performer.79
(3) For a student performer to be credited as present as provided in subsection (b) of this80
Code section, a parent or guardian shall provide appropriate authorization for the student81
performer's studio teachers and school personnel to communicate regarding the student82
performer, including, but not limited to, communications involv ing the student83
performer's education records as defined in the federal Family Educational Rights and84
Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g.85
(d) Upon consultation with the Department of Education, the Department of Labor shall86
promulgate a performance certification form and such policies and procedures necessary87
to ensure compliance with this Code section."88
SECTION 2.89
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.90
H. B. 442
- 4 -

## 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 let student performers, such as child actors and models, miss up to 25 school days a year for productions without being marked absent, as long as certain paperwork and instruction requirements are met.

### Plain-language summary

Under current Georgia law, students who miss school to work in film, television, stage, modeling, or other productions can be marked absent even when a tutor or 'studio teacher' is providing lessons on set. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. Title 20) that lets these 'student performers' be counted present, not absent, for up to 25 school days total in a year while performing.
To qualify, a parent or guardian and either a child labor coordinator or studio teacher must fill out a performance certification describing the curriculum and content standards covered during the time missed, and submit it to the student's school upon return. If a performance runs three or more consecutive school days, the employing production and its child labor coordinator must make sure the studio teacher's instruction matches what the student's actual school is teaching. Parents must also authorize communication between the studio teacher and school staff, including sharing certain education records. The Department of Labor, working with the Department of Education, would create the certification form and related rules.

### What it does

- Creates a new Georgia law letting student performers be marked present, not absent, for up to 25 school days spent performing in a production.
- Requires a performance certification form, filled out by a parent or guardian and a child labor coordinator or studio teacher, before absences can be excused this way.
- Requires that instruction given by a studio teacher align with the student's actual school curriculum, with stricter alignment rules once a production runs three or more consecutive school days.
- Requires parents to authorize sharing of the student's education records between studio teachers and school staff so attendance can be properly documented.
- Directs the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Department of Education, to create the certification form and write rules to carry out the law.

### Who it affects

Student performers under 18 (and some enrolled students over 18) working in stage, film, television, internet, modeling, or other productions; their parents or guardians; studio teachers and child labor coordinators who supervise them; production companies employing them; and public schools and the Departments of Labor and Education that manage certification and compliance.

### Why it matters

Families of working child performers would no longer have to choose between school attendance records and job opportunities, since certified time on set would count as present rather than absent. Schools and state agencies would take on new paperwork and coordination duties to verify the education students receive while performing.

### Key provisions

- Adds new Code Section 20-2-692.4 to Georgia's compulsory attendance law, defining terms like 'child labor coordinator,' 'employing unit,' 'production,' 'student performer,' and 'studio teacher.'
- Subsection (b) allows up to 25 school days of performance-related absence per year to be credited as present, based on a completed performance certification submitted upon the student's return to school.
- Subsection (c)(1) makes parents, studio teachers, child labor coordinators, and employing units jointly responsible for ensuring instruction fits the student's age, grade level, and skill level.
- Subsection (c)(2) imposes stricter curriculum-alignment duties on employing units and child labor coordinators when a performance lasts three or more consecutive school days.
- Subsection (c)(3) requires parental authorization for studio teachers and school staff to share education records, citing the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Subsection (d) directs the Department of Labor, after consulting the Department of Education, to create the certification form and supporting rules.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-13)
- Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04)
- Sponsors: Teddy Reese, Ron Stephens, Rick Townsend, Rhonda Burnough, Tangie Herring
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70314

> The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb442.md?full=1