HB 921: Education Impact Transparency Act; enact

This bill, called the Education Impact Transparency Act, responds to the possibility that the federal government could significantly shrink or defund the U.S. Department of Education. It adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-21) requiring the Georgia Department of Education to complete an impact study within 90 days whenever a federal action cuts the U.S. Department of Education's scope, workforce, or budget by more than 20 percent. The study must look at how the federal change affects local school districts and public schools, including funding, staffing, resources, and school operations, as well as effects on students such as academic performance and access to programs. The department could hire an outside nonpartisan expert group to do the study, and it must publish a public report and send it to every local school district. If a qualifying federal cut already happened before this law takes effect, the 90 day clock would start from the law's effective date instead.

• Adds a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-21) requiring the state Department of Education to study the impact of major federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Triggers the study requirement whenever a federal action cuts the scope, workforce, or budget of the U.S. Department of Education by more than 20 percent.
• Sets a 90 day deadline for completing the study, starting from either the federal action or this law's effective date, whichever is later.
• Requires the study to assess effects on local school districts, public schools, staffing, funding, and students' academic performance and program access.
• Allows the department to contract with a nonpartisan independent group with education policy and finance expertise to conduct the study.
• Requires a public report on the study's findings, sent to every local school district and posted on the department's website in an accessible format.

The Georgia Department of Education, which must conduct or contract out the study and publish the report; local school districts, which receive the report; and public primary and secondary schools and their students, whose funding, staffing, and programs are the subject of the study.

If the federal government significantly cuts the U.S. Department of Education, Georgia families, teachers, and school officials would get a formal, public accounting of how that cut affects local schools, funding, and students, rather than relying only on informal or federal-level information.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the Education Impact Transparency Act.
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-21, defining 'department,' 'local education agency,' and 'study' for purposes of the law.
• Subsection (b) requires the study within 90 days of a federal action cutting the U.S. Department of Education's scope, workforce, or budget by more than 20 percent, or within 90 days of this Act's effective date if the cut already occurred.
• Subsection (b) also lists required study topics: effects on local school districts and schools (funding, staffing, resources, operations) and effects on students (academic performance, program access).
• Subsection (c) authorizes the department to contract with a nonpartisan independent entity with education policy and finance expertise to conduct the study.
• Subsection (d) requires a public report on the study's findings, delivered to every local school district and posted on the department's website in an accessible, understandable format.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-02House Hopper (House)

• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)Primary sponsor
• Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Karlton Howard (D, HD-129)
• Tangie Herring (D, HD-145)
• David Sampson (D, HD-153)

• public education funding
• federal education cuts
• school district impact
• government transparency