---
title: HB 970. Quality Basic Education Act; expand which healthcare professionals may conduct preparticipation physical examinations
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb970
cite_as: HB 970, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb970
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb970.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb970/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72219
date: 2026-03-31
status: engrossed
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/hb969.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 823
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb970.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 970
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-18
last_action: Senate Tabled
sponsors:
- Rick Townsend
- Dale Washburn
- Angie O'Steen
- Carmen Rice
- Leesa Hagan
- Esther Panitch
- Mike Hodges
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB970/2025
upstream_id: 2080490
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- youth sports
- school athletics
- student health
- cardiovascular screening
- healthcare licensing
---
# HB 970. Quality Basic Education Act; expand which healthcare professionals may conduct preparticipation physical examinations
## Text
House Bill 970 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Townsend of the 179th, Washburn of the 144th, O’Steen of the 169th, Rice
of the 139th, Hagan of the 156th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to other educational programs relative to the "Quality Basic Education
Act," so as to expand which healthcare professionals may conduct preparticipation physical
examinations; to provide for the period of validity for such examinations; to require
healthcare professionals to include a cardiovascular prescreening as part of such
examinations; 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 14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to other educational programs relative to the "Quality Basic Education Act," is
amended in Code Section 20-2-319.2, relating to the school interscholastic extracurricular
athletic policy providing for the use of a single, comprehensive, preparticipation physical
examination form, by revising subsection (c) and by adding a new subsection to read as
follows:
"(c) When a school or school district has a policy which requires students who participate
in extracurricular sports to have a physical examination prior to participation, the The
person conducting the physical examination provided for in the policy developed under
subsection (a) of this Code section shall be a qualified healthcare professional, including
a licensed medical physician, doctor of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioner, or
physician's assistant in accordance with Code Section 43-34-103, and shall use the State
Board of Education approved form pursuant to subsection subsections (d) and (e) of this
Code section, provided that the form may at the option of the local board include additional
elements. Physical examinations shall be valid for 12 months from the date of the
examination, or, if conducted on or after April 1 of the year preceding the applicable school
year, shall remain valid through such applicable school year."
"(e) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, a qualified healthcare professional who
performs a physical examination of a student athlete shall include in such examination a
cardiovascular prescreening that follows nationally recognized, evidence based guidelines
recommended by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, or
other nationally recognized organization focused on evidence based cardiovascular care.
Educational materials that provide information about causes of sudden cardiac arrest in
children that follow evidence based science shall be distributed by the school to parents or
guardians of students participating in school sports as part of a student's preparticipation
physical examination and completion of athletic permission forms."
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 let nurse practitioners and physician's assistants, not just doctors, perform the physical exams student athletes need before playing school sports, and would add a required heart screening starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already requires student athletes to get a preparticipation physical exam before playing school sports, using a form approved by the State Board of Education. This bill changes who is allowed to give that exam and what it must include.
The bill lists which healthcare professionals qualify: licensed medical physicians, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants, following existing rules in O.C.G.A. § 43-34-103. It also sets a shelf life for the exam: it stays valid for 12 months from the exam date, or, if the exam happens on or after April 1 of the year before the school year, it stays valid through that whole school year. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, the exam must also include a cardiovascular prescreening based on nationally recognized guidelines from groups like the American College of Cardiology or American Heart Association. Schools must also give parents and guardians educational materials about sudden cardiac arrest in children when students turn in their permission forms.
### What it does
- Names which healthcare professionals can perform a student athlete's preparticipation physical exam: licensed physicians, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants.
- Sets a validity period for the physical exam: 12 months from the exam date, or through the next school year if the exam is done on or after April 1 of the prior year.
- Requires the exam to include a cardiovascular prescreening based on nationally recognized, evidence based guidelines, starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
- Requires schools to give parents or guardians educational materials on sudden cardiac arrest in children along with the permission forms.
### Who it affects
Student athletes and their parents or guardians, public school districts and the State Board of Education, and healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants who perform sports physicals.
### Why it matters
Families would have more options for where to get a sports physical done, since nurse practitioners and physician's assistants would be explicitly authorized alongside doctors. The added cardiovascular screening and parent education materials are meant to catch heart conditions that can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.2(c) to specify that the physical exam must be conducted by a qualified healthcare professional, listing physicians, DOs, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants.
- Section 1 sets the exam's validity at 12 months, or through the following school year if given on or after April 1 of the prior year.
- New subsection (e) requires a cardiovascular prescreening following guidelines from groups like the American College of Cardiology or American Heart Association, effective for the 2026-2027 school year.
- New subsection (e) requires schools to distribute educational materials on sudden cardiac arrest in children to parents or guardians as part of the permission form process.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-02-18)
- Last action: Senate Tabled (2026-03-31)
- Sponsors: Rick Townsend, Dale Washburn, Angie O'Steen, Carmen Rice, Leesa Hagan, Esther Panitch, Mike Hodges
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72219
> The history, votes, and amendments (823 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb970.md?full=1