---
title: HB 544. Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement; establish
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb544
cite_as: HB 544, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb544
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb544.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb544/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70581
date: 2025-02-24
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb543.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb545.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb544.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 544
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-20
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Bryce Berry
  - Tanya Miller
  - Samuel Park
  - Carolyn Hugley
  - Spencer Frye
  - Saira Draper
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB544/2025
upstream_id: 1978240
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - voter registration
  - public schools
  - civic engagement
  - education awards
---

# HB 544. Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement; establish

## Text

House Bill 544
By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, Miller of the 62nd, Park of the 107th, Hugley of the
141st, Frye of the 122nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 20-2-310 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
student directory information, registering to vote and with selective service, and pledge of
allegiance, so as to establish the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement; to provide for
policies and procedures; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 20-2-310 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to student
directory information, registering to vote and with selective service, and pledge of allegiance,
is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows:
"(b)(1) Each eligible student in the public schools of this state shall be apprised of his or
her right to register as an elector and to vote in elections and of any obligation to register
with the Selective Service System. Each eligible student shall be given an opportunity,
arranged by the school administration, to register to vote at his or her school during the
month of April of each year. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and
regulations to carry out this Code section. An excused absence of a student to register or
vote, at the discretion of the local unit of administration, shall not exceed one school day.
<ins>(2)(A) There is established the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement to
recognize public schools at which a high percentage of eligible students are registered
to vote. In order to qualify for the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement, a public
school shall meet the following criteria:
(i) For a gold level award, 100 percent of eligible students at such public school shall
be registered to vote; or
(ii) For a silver level award, 85 percent of eligible students at such public school shall
be registered to vote.
(B) The Department of Education shall develop policies and procedures to recognize
public schools which meet the criteria for an award pursuant to this paragraph."
</ins> SECTION 2.
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.

A Georgia House bill would create the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement, recognizing public schools where a large share of eligible students are registered to vote.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law already requires public schools to tell eligible students about their right to register to vote and to give them a chance to register at school each April. This bill adds a new award tied to that existing requirement.

The bill amends Georgia's student registration law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-310) to create the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement. Schools would qualify for a gold level award if 100 percent of their eligible students are registered to vote, or a silver level award if 85 percent are registered. The Department of Education would be responsible for writing the policies and procedures needed to identify and recognize qualifying schools. The bill does not specify an effective date beyond the standard process, and it repeals any conflicting laws.

### What it does

- Creates the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement as a new recognition program for Georgia public schools.
- Sets a gold level award for schools where 100 percent of eligible students are registered to vote.
- Sets a silver level award for schools where 85 percent of eligible students are registered to vote.
- Directs the Department of Education to develop policies and procedures for identifying and recognizing qualifying schools.
- Leaves in place the existing requirement that schools inform students of their voting and Selective Service registration rights.

### Who it affects

Public school students, especially those eligible to register to vote; public school administrators, who already arrange April voter registration opportunities; and the Department of Education, which must create the rules for awarding recognition under this new program.

### Why it matters

Schools that reach high voter registration rates among eligible students would get formal state recognition, which could encourage schools to promote voter registration drives more actively. The change adds an incentive program rather than a new legal obligation on students themselves.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-310 to add a new paragraph (2) establishing the Jimmy Carter Award for Civic Engagement.
- Sets a gold level threshold of 100 percent of eligible students registered to vote at a school.
- Sets a silver level threshold of 85 percent of eligible students registered to vote at a school.
- Assigns the Department of Education responsibility for developing recognition policies and procedures.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-24)
- Sponsors: Bryce Berry, Tanya Miller, Samuel Park, Carolyn Hugley, Spencer Frye, Saira Draper
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70581

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb544.md?full=1