--- title: HB 602. Education; denial of state funds for loans, grants, and scholarships for any student convicted of a criminal offense; provisions collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb602 cite_as: HB 602, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb602 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb602.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb602/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70728 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb601.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb603.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 249 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb602.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 602 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Tim Fleming - Carter Barrett - Mitchell Scoggins - Kasey Carpenter - Trey Kelley - Dale Washburn text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB602/2025 upstream_id: 1982166 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - student financial aid - campus protests - higher education funding - student discipline - college scholarships --- # HB 602. Education; denial of state funds for loans, grants, and scholarships for any student convicted of a criminal offense; provisions ## Text 25 LC 61 0214S The House Committee on Higher Education offers the following substitute to HB 602: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 general provisions relative to education, so as to provide for the denial of state funds for2 loans, grants, and scholarships for any student who is convicted of a criminal offense when3 such conviction is the result of a student engaging in materially and substantially disruptive4 conduct on such postsecondary educational institution's campus; to provide definitions; to5 provide that the Georgia Student Finance Commission shall promu lgate rules and6 regulations; to provide for compliance by postsecondary educational institutions; to provide7 for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 SECTION 1.10 Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to general11 provisions relative to education, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:12 H. B. 602 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 61 0214S "ARTICLE 513 20-1-50.14 As used in this article, the term:15 (1) 'Campus' means the grounds and buildings owned or occupied by a postsecondary16 educational institution.17 (2) 'Convicted' or 'conviction' refers to a plea of guilty, a finding of guilty by a court of18 competent jurisdiction, or the acceptance of a plea of nolo contendere or affording of first19 offender treatment by a court of competent jurisdiction, irrespective of the pendency or20 availability of any appeal or application for collateral relief.21 (3) 'Criminal offense' means any criminal offense under Title 16 or any offense under22 federal law.23 (4) 'Date of conviction' means the date on which the trial cou rt determines guilt and24 enters judgment thereon or the date on which the court accepts a plea of nolo contendere25 or formally allows a person to receive first offender treatment.26 (5) 'Harassment' means unwelcome conduct or expressive activity directed at a student,27 administrator, faculty, staff, or visitor on campus that is so severe, pervasive, and28 objectively offensive that he or she is effectively denied equa l access to educational29 opportunities or any other benefits provided by the postsecondary educational institution.30 (6)(A) 'Materially and substantially disruptive conduct' means a person intentionally31 engaging in conduct or expressive activity which such person kn ows or reasonably32 should have known would significantly hinder another person's or group's expressive33 activity, prevent the communication of the person's or group's message, or prevent the34 transaction of business of a lawful meeting, gathering, or procession by:35 (i) Engaging in fighting, violence, or other unlawful behavior;36 (ii) Damaging or defacing property;37 H. B. 602 (SUB) - 2 - 25 LC 61 0214S (iii) Physically blocking, using threats of violence, or creating loud or sustained noise38 or vocalization intended to prevent any person from attending, listening to, viewing,39 or otherwise participating in an expressive activity;40 (iv) Occupying or materially disrupting the ingress, egress, or use of campus facilities41 without consent from the postsecondary educational institution; or42 (v) Engaging in harassment at the postsecondary educational institution.43 (B) Conduct or expressive activity shall not be considered materially and substantially44 disruptive conduct if it is protected under the Georgia Constit ution or the First45 Amendment to the United States Constitution, including, but not limited to, lawful46 protests in an unrestricted outdoor area of campus, except during times when such areas47 have been reserved in advance for other events, or minor, brief, or fleeting nonviolent48 disruptions of events that are isolated and short in duration.49 (7) 'Postsecondary educational institution' shall have the sam e meaning as 'eligible50 postsecondary institution' as set forth in Code Section 20-3-519.51 (8) 'Student' means any person who is enrolled as a student in courses for academic52 credit on a full-time, part-time, temporary, or intermittent ba sis in any postsecondary53 educational institution.54 20-1-51.55 (a) Any student who is convicted of a criminal offense, when such conviction is the result56 of a student engaging in materially and substantially disruptive conduct on the campus of57 such postsecondary educational institution, shall as of the date of conviction be denied state58 funds for any loans, grants, or scholarships provided for in Article 7 of Chapter 3 of this59 title.60 (b) Such denial of state funds shall be effective as of the fi rst day of the term, quarter,61 semester, or other similar period for which such student was en rolled immediately62 H. B. 602 (SUB) - 3 - 25 LC 61 0214S following the date of conviction and shall continue through the end of the next such term,63 quarter, semester, or other similar period.64 (c) Any postsecondary educational institution operating within this state that receives state65 funds shall agree to comply with this article in order to be eligible for its students to receive66 state funds for any loans, grants, or scholarships provided for in Article 7 of Chapter 3 of67 this title.68 20-1-52.69 The Georgia Student Finance Commission, in consultation with the University System of70 Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia, shall prom ulgate rules and71 regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. Such rules and regulations72 shall provide for relief from sanctions previously imposed unde r this article against a73 person whose conviction is subsequently overturned on appeal or through collateral relief."74 SECTION 2.75 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.76 H. B. 602 (SUB) - 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 cut off state student loans, grants, and scholarships for college students convicted of a crime that resulted from disruptive conduct on campus, such as violent protests or blocking building access. ### Plain-language summary Currently Georgia law does not tie state financial aid eligibility to a student's criminal conduct on campus. This bill would add a new article to Georgia's education code creating that link. If a student is convicted of a crime under Georgia's criminal code (Title 16) or federal law, and that conviction stems from 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct' on a postsecondary campus, such as fighting, blocking building entrances, property damage, or harassment, the student would lose eligibility for state-funded loans, grants, or scholarships. The denial starts on the first day of the academic term following the conviction and lasts through the following term. The bill exempts conduct protected by the Georgia or U.S. Constitution, including peaceful protests in open outdoor areas not reserved for other events, and brief, minor disruptions. Colleges receiving state funds must agree to enforce this rule. The Georgia Student Finance Commission would write implementing rules, including a process to restore aid if a conviction is later overturned. ### What it does - Denies state-funded loans, grants, or scholarships to any college student convicted of a criminal offense tied to disruptive conduct on campus. - Defines 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct' to include fighting, property damage, blocking building access, loud disruption of events, and harassment. - Exempts constitutionally protected activity, such as peaceful outdoor protests and brief, minor disruptions, from triggering the funding denial. - Sets the funding denial to begin the term after conviction and last through the following term. - Requires colleges that accept state funds to agree to enforce this rule as a condition of their students' aid eligibility. - Directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission to write rules, including a process to restore aid if a conviction is overturned on appeal. ### Who it affects College and university students in Georgia who rely on state financial aid, public and private postsecondary institutions that accept state funds, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which would write and enforce the new rules alongside the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia. ### Why it matters Students convicted of crimes linked to campus disruptions, such as violent altercations, property damage, or blocking access to buildings, could lose state financial aid for at least a full academic term, affecting their ability to pay for tuition and continue their education, while protests and minor disruptions remain protected. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds new Code Sections 20-1-50 through 20-1-52 to Title 20 defining key terms including 'campus,' 'convicted,' 'criminal offense,' and 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct.' - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-50(6) lists specific disruptive acts, such as fighting, property damage, blocking facility access, loud disruption of events, and harassment, that can trigger the funding denial. - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-50(6)(B) exempts constitutionally protected speech, including lawful outdoor protests and brief nonviolent disruptions, from the definition of disruptive conduct. - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-51(a) denies state loans, grants, and scholarships under Article 7 of Chapter 3 to any student convicted under these terms, effective as of the conviction date. - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-51(b) sets the denial period to run from the next enrollment term through the following term. - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-51(c) requires postsecondary institutions receiving state funds to agree to comply with the article for their students to remain eligible for state aid. - O.C.G.A. § 20-1-52 directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission to issue rules, including relief for students whose convictions are later overturned. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Tim Fleming, Carter Barrett, Mitchell Scoggins, Kasey Carpenter, Trey Kelley, Dale Washburn - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70728 > The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb602.md?full=1