Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 634: Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act; expedited completion of a student's first Individualized Education Program; revise provisions
Last action March 31, 2026 · Senate Tabled
A Georgia Senate substitute for HB 634 would change how the state calculates Special Needs Scholarship amounts for students with newly created Individualized Education Programs, require electronic payment deposits, and set a July 15 deadline for the Department of Education to notify parents of scholarship amounts.
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
Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship Act lets eligible students with disabilities use state funds toward private school tuition, with amounts based on services listed in a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP). This bill addresses a gap for students whose first IEP was fast-tracked (expedited) but wasn't finished by the time the state counted enrollment. It sets a process to calculate an initial scholarship amount once that IEP takes effect, then revise it at the next enrollment count. The bill also changes how scholarship payments move: instead of mailing paper checks for parents to endorse to schools, the Department of Education would electronically deposit payments directly into a school's account when possible, only mailing a check if electronic deposit fails. It requires participating schools to complete a compliance form and certify its accuracy, sets a July 15 deadline each year for the department to tell parents their child's actual scholarship amount, expands what parents can dispute about reported program weights, and adds new demographic categories and medical/behavioral accommodation data to the program's required annual report to the General Assembly.
What the bill does
- Creates a special calculation process for scholarship amounts when a student's first IEP was expedited but not finished by the enrollment count, basing the initial amount on the IEP once it takes effect and revising it later.
- Requires the Department of Education to electronically deposit scholarship payments into a participating school's account, only mailing a paper check if electronic deposit is not possible.
- Requires the department to develop and use a compliance form that participating schools must complete and certify as accurate.
- Sets a yearly deadline of no later than July 15 for the department to tell parents of scholarship students their child's actual scholarship amount.
- Expands the reasons a parent can dispute reported program weights to include services in a student's IEP that were not recorded in the enrollment count.
- Adds new demographic breakdowns (age, grade, gender, race, ethnicity, free or reduced meal eligibility) and information on schools' medical or behavioral accommodations to the annual report sent to the General Assembly.
Who it affects
Families of students with disabilities who use or apply for Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship, especially those with newly created IEPs; private schools that participate in the scholarship program and receive payments; and the Georgia Department of Education and Office of Student Achievement, which administer payments and reporting.
Why it matters
Families whose child's first IEP is still being finalized would get a clearer path to a scholarship amount instead of uncertainty. Schools would receive payments faster through electronic deposit rather than waiting on mailed checks, and parents would get firmer deadlines and broader grounds to challenge amounts they believe are wrong.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2116(a) to set a two-step scholarship calculation for students whose first IEP was expedited under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2114 but not yet in effect at the enrollment count.
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2116(f) to require electronic deposit of scholarship payments into a participating school's account, with mailed warrants as a fallback.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2117(a)-(b) to require a compliance form for participating schools, an annual parent satisfaction survey, and posting of basic unit cost estimates on the department's public website.
- Section 2 sets a deadline of no later than July 15 each year for the department to give parents actual scholarship amounts, and lets parents dispute reported program weights, including unrecorded IEP services, within 30 days.
- Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2118 to require the annual report to the General Assembly to include demographic breakdowns and data on schools' medical or behavioral accommodations, and to be posted on the Office of Student Achievement's public website.
From the bill
“the initial calculation of the maximum scholarship amount shall be based upon services specified in the Individualized Education Program in place at the time such Individualized Education Program takes effect”
“The department shall electronically deposit payments that have been restrictively endorsed by parents into the account of such school”
“as soon as practicable but no later than July 15, the”
Discussed in meetings (10)
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.
House Education Committee, February 19, 2026
From 1:19:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 634 would update administration of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship program rather than expand it. According to the sponsor, the program served about 6,300 children annually. The sponsor said the bill would provide scholarship estimates and final amounts sooner, allow electronic payments to schools instead of checks requiring parents' endorsements, clarify appeals concerning scholarship amounts, and increase information about participating students and the conditions schools could serve. The sponsor said the Department of Education had requested the changes and described earlier efforts to advance similar legislation. A member asked whether electronic payments would leave a record showing receipt and use of funds for individual students. The sponsor said the Department of Education would be responsible and that electronic transfers would have an audit trail. The committee approved the bill by voice vote.
House Rules Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:44:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 634 would make administrative changes to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program without expanding it. The sponsor described faster scholarship estimates and final amounts, electronic payments to schools, clearer appeals procedures and more information about participating students and schools' capabilities. The sponsor said the Department of Education requested the changes and that similar legislation passed the House 169 to zero in 2024 but did not advance from Senate Rules. A member questioned whether private schools receiving public scholarship money must provide individualized education programs or Section 504 plans. The sponsor said the program served about 6,300 students with those plans and that funding could follow students to private schools or other public schools. The sponsor offered to discuss separate legislation on private-school requirements while emphasizing this bill's administrative purpose.
House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 1:43:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 634 on the current day's floor calendar after a motion and second. The chair asked for opposition and declared it added. No substantive discussion was shown.
House floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24)
From 3:49:01 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1211
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HB 634 as administrative improvements to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, not an expansion. The sponsor said it would provide earlier scholarship estimates and final amounts, allow electronic payments, clarify appeals and require more information about participating students and schools' services. Members asked whether private schools must provide previous accommodations, could refuse students with disabilities, and whether scholarships weakened public-school funding. The sponsor said the program served about 6,300 families, offered public and private options, and had broad support, but did not give a direct legal answer about admissions or accommodations. Another member said local funding stayed with districts, and the sponsor agreed. One supporting speaker cautioned that public-school special-education guarantees did not follow students to private schools in the same way, urging clear information, fair admissions and stronger accountability. A second supporting speaker emphasized timely evaluations and services. The House passed the bill 168 to 0.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 19, 2026
From 1:10:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described the substitute to HB 634 as administrative changes to the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, not an expansion or change in current policy. The sponsor said it included minor revisions requested by the Department of Education. The sponsor explained that the bill would let the department correct scholarship amounts when an individualized education program (IEP) does not match enrollment-count information, make electronic payments, and notify parents of scholarship amounts sooner. The sponsor said it would clarify parents’ ability to appeal when an IEP service was left out of the scholarship calculation. The sponsor also described additional reporting about participating students and the conditions private schools can serve, saying the program serves about 6,300 children out of 1.7 million statewide. An aide assisting with the legislation expressed support. No substantive questions were asked. The committee approved the substitute by a show of hands, with the chair reporting all but one in favor and no exact tally.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 0:44:54 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 634 would address problems families, schools and the education department had identified in the Special Needs Scholarship program. The sponsor highlighted authority for the Department of Education to correct inaccurate scholarship amounts. The sponsor said there was no opposition and that the House had passed it unanimously twice in three years. A member selected it, a later duplicate selection was corrected, and the committee unanimously approved the calendar containing it.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:47:18
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25), 0:25:33
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 20, 2026 (legislative day 35), 0:33:40
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36), 0:32:58
Status timeline
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (10 actions)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Carter Barrett (R, HD-24)
- Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
- Todd Jones (R, HD-25)
- Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)
- Jan Jones (R, HD-47)
- Brent Cox (R, HD-28)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-37)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 25, 2026
168 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 5 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- special needs scholarship
- school vouchers
- special education
- Georgia education funding
- Individualized Education Programs