---
title: HB 546. Quality Basic Education Act; require local school systems to offer certain exams to home study students
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb546
cite_as: HB 546, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb546
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb546.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb546/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70583
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb546.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 546
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:
- Noelle Kahaian
- Charlice Byrd
- Emory Dunahoo
- Mitchell Scoggins
- Matthew Gambill
- Sandy Donatucci
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB546/2025
upstream_id: 1978529
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- homeschooling
- standardized testing
- education policy
- SAT and ACT access
- Quality Basic Education Act
---
# HB 546. Quality Basic Education Act; require local school systems to offer certain exams to home study students
## Text
House Bill 546
By: Representatives Kahaian of the 81st, Byrd of the 20th, Dunahoo of the 31st, Scoggins of
the 14th, Gambill of the 15th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 15 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to miscellaneous provisions under the "Quality Basic Education Act,"
so as to require that local school systems offer certain exams to home study students; to
provide for notice requirements; to prohibit additional fees or requirements; to provide a
definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 15 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to miscellaneous provisions under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended
by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-324.8.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'home study student' means a student in grades
six through 12 who is in a home study program that meets the requirements of
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690.
(b) A local school system that offers the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, or Armed
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) or an advanced placement exam to
students enrolled in such local school system shall:
(1) Make each such test or exam available to any home study student who would be
enrolled in such local school system by virtue of his or her residence under the same
rules, policies, and procedures for such test or exam that apply to students enrolled in
such local school system who are participating in such test or exam. Such test or exam
may be offered to such home study students at the same date and time that such test or
exam is offered to students enrolled in such local school system, or at another date and
time selected by such local school system; and
(2) Post on its public website notice of each such test or exam to be administered. Such
notice shall:
(A) Include each such test or exam date;
(B) Include registration deadlines and procedures; and
(C) State that such test or exam is available to home study students who would be
enrolled in such local school system by virtue of their residence.
(c) A local school system that offers the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, or Armed
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) or an advanced placement exam to
students enrolled in such local school system shall not, as a condition of a home study
student participating in such test or exam:
(1) Impose any fee that is not imposed on students enrolled in such local school system;
or
(2) Impose any requirement that conflicts with or is in addition to the requirements of
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690."
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.
House Bill 546 would require Georgia local school systems that offer tests like the SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT, or advanced placement exams to also make them available to home study students living in that district.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law, local school systems are not required to let home study (homeschool) students take standardized tests such as the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), or advanced placement exams alongside enrolled students. This bill adds a new section to the Quality Basic Education Act requiring that if a local school system offers any of these tests to its own students, it must also offer them to home study students who would otherwise be enrolled there based on where they live.
The bill defines a home study student as one in grades six through 12 in a home study program that meets existing legal requirements (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690). School systems must apply the same rules and procedures to home study students, post test dates and registration information online, and cannot charge home study students extra fees or add requirements beyond what home study law already requires.
### What it does
- Requires local school systems that offer the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, ASVAB, or AP exams to enrolled students to also make those tests available to eligible home study students.
- Requires school systems to apply the same testing rules, policies, and procedures to home study students as apply to enrolled students.
- Requires school systems to post online notices listing test dates, registration deadlines and procedures, and confirmation that home study students may participate.
- Bars school systems from charging home study students fees not charged to enrolled students.
- Bars school systems from imposing extra requirements on home study students beyond what current home study law already requires.
### Who it affects
Home study (homeschool) students in grades six through 12, their families, and local school systems and school boards across Georgia that administer standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT, ASVAB, or AP exams to enrolled students.
### Why it matters
Home study students who currently may struggle to access certain standardized tests through their local public school would gain a guaranteed right to take them under the same terms as enrolled students, without extra fees or conditions, potentially affecting their college or military entrance prospects.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 20-2-324.8 to the Quality Basic Education Act, defining a home study student as one in grades six through 12 enrolled in a qualifying home study program under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c).
- Subsection (b) requires school systems offering the listed tests to make them available to home study students under the same rules as enrolled students, either on the same date or another date chosen by the school system.
- Subsection (b)(2) requires public website notices listing test dates, registration deadlines and procedures, and availability to home study students.
- Subsection (c) prohibits school systems from charging home study students fees not charged to enrolled students or imposing additional requirements beyond existing home study law.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-24)
- Sponsors: Noelle Kahaian, Charlice Byrd, Emory Dunahoo, Mitchell Scoggins, Matthew Gambill, Sandy Donatucci
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70583
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb546.md?full=1