Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 451: Quality Basic Education Act; local boards shall be authorized to provide instruction in hunting safety in grades six through 12; provide
Last action March 27, 2026 · Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
A Georgia Senate substitute to HB 451 would require every local school district to let public school students leave campus for religious instruction classes during the school week, without counting them as absent.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This bill, now called the Student Character Development Act, adds a new section to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. Title 20). It requires every local school district (called a local education agency) to adopt, by August 1, 2026, a policy letting students be excused from school for at least one hour per school week to attend a 'released time course,' meaning religious moral instruction taught by an outside person or group away from public school control. Parents must consent in writing, the outside provider must keep attendance records and take responsibility for the student during the course, and transportation is generally the family's job unless the provider agrees to handle it with parental consent. Districts may allow academic credit for these courses if graded on the same secular standards as similar courses, and may host them on school property under equal-access rules. Providers must pass a criminal records check, districts are shielded from liability for private transportation, and the Department of Education must maximize state and federal funding regardless of participation and publish model policies. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.
What the bill does
- Requires every Georgia school district to adopt, by August 1, 2026, a policy letting students leave school for at least one hour a week for outside religious instruction.
- Requires written parental consent, attendance recordkeeping by the outside provider, and provider responsibility for student safety during the course.
- Allows, but does not require, districts to award academic credit for these courses using the same secular grading standards used for similar classes.
- Requires a criminal records check for anyone providing the religious instruction under this policy.
- Protects school districts and employees from civil lawsuits over injuries during private transportation to or from these courses.
- Bars students from being marked absent while attending the religious instruction course.
Who it affects
Public school students in grades covered by compulsory attendance and their parents, local school districts and their staff who must write and enforce the new policy, outside religious organizations or individuals who teach the courses, and the Georgia Department of Education, which must issue model policies and protect district funding levels.
Why it matters
Families who want religious instruction during the school week would gain a formal, legally protected option, with districts required to accommodate it and shield themselves from certain liability. Districts must build new policies, verify criminal background checks, and decide whether to grant academic credit for outside religious coursework.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the law the 'Student Character Development Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-692.5, defining a 'released time course' as religious moral instruction offered independently of public schools.
- Subsection (b) requires districts to adopt an excusal policy by August 1, 2026, covering parental consent, attendance records, transportation responsibility, and provider liability for students during the course.
- Subsection (c) requires a criminal records check for instructors providing released time courses.
- Subsection (d) lets districts award academic credit for these courses using secular grading criteria such as instruction hours, syllabus review, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications.
- Subsection (e) shields districts and employees from civil liability for injuries during private transportation to these courses.
- Subsection (f) states that a student attending a released time course is not counted as absent from school.
- Subsection (g) directs the Department of Education to protect districts' state and federal funding regardless of participation levels and to publish model policies.
From the bill
“each local education agency shall adopt a policy that permits all students to be excused from school to attend a released time course for at least one hour per school week”
“While in attendance in a released time course, a student shall not be considered absent from school.”
“No local education agency or official or employee thereof shall be liable in any civil action for injury allegedly arising from a student's transit to or from a released time course”
Discussed in meetings (5)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:45:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented HB 451 as requiring districts to adopt policies by August 1, 2026, allowing release time for religious instruction. The sponsor described written parental consent, background checks, no missed core classes, optional academic credit, limits on public spending and district protection from transportation liability. Asked about time limits, the sponsor said the bill set a minimum of one hour weekly, with districts determining any upper limit. Asked about religious preference and controversial teachings, the sponsor said schools should not favor a religion and parents would control participation through consent. A Georgia School Boards Association witness requested making district policies optional so districts could prioritize local needs. The sponsor opposed that change as weakening the bill. A LifeWise Academy witness supported it. Members questioned church-state separation and whether requiring off-campus classes would create unnecessary transportation costs. The sponsor pointed to language permitting school-property use under a neutral access policy. The Senate sponsor committed to reviewing that language with legislative counsel before floor consideration. No amendment was adopted during the discussion. The committee approved the substitute by a show of hands, without an exact tally.
Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:28:53 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 451, despite its hunting safety title, now concerned release-time education allowing students to leave campus for religious courses. The chair confirmed that description. No substantive questions or vote followed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 25, 2026
From 0:47:27 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member selected HB 451 for the calendar. No provisions were discussed. The committee unanimously approved the calendar package containing the bill.
Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)
From 3:56:23 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: A substitute replaced HB 451's hunting-safety instruction provisions with rules for students to attend independently provided religious or moral instruction during school hours. The sponsor said school systems would have to adopt policies allowing participation, with background checks, liability protections and optional academic credit. One member asked why instruction could not occur outside school hours and why local systems could not decide whether to allow it. The sponsor said all students should have the option under consistent safeguards. An amendment's author said the amendment clarified that instruction could occur on campus under a neutral equal-access policy, and that families would be responsible for transportation when instruction was off campus. Another member opposed using school time and facilities for outside religious programs, arguing this would distract from academics and serve a vendor's interests. A supporting member proposed separately studying whether other school activities should move outside instructional hours. The amendment passed 32-18. The Senate adopted the substitute as amended and passed the bill 33-18.
Status timeline
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
Show full history (14 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Chas Cannon (R, HD-172)
- Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
- Chris Erwin (R, HD-32)
- Matt Dubnik (R, HD-29)
- John Corbett (R, HD-174)
- Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2025
159 yea, 16 nay (1 not voting, 4 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
32 yea, 18 nay (1 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
33 yea, 18 nay (0 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- religious education
- public schools
- school attendance policy
- student character development act