Georgia CommonsHB 971: Quality Basic Education Act; home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; provide
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 31, 2026 · Engrossed
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Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 971
By: Representatives Townsend of the 179th, Jones of the 25th, DeLoach of the 167th, Smith of the 70th, Horner of the 3rd, 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 education programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide for home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; to revise what courses are available to such students; to revise a definition; to provide for an effective date and applicability; 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 education programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-319.5, relating to enrolling home study and private school students in college and career courses, as follows:
"20-2-319.5.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'College and career academy' has the same meaning as set forth in Code Section
20-4-37.
(2) 'Course' means a an eligible CTAE course, as such term is set forth in Code Section
20-2-161.3, offered by a college and career academy to public school students enrolled in such college and career academy.
(3) 'Home study student' means a student in a home study program which meets the requirements of subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690.
(4) 'Private school student' means a student in a private school which meets the requirements of subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-690.
(5) 'Resident school system' means the local school system in which a home study student or a private school student would be enrolled by virtue of his or her residence.
(b) Local school systems are authorized to enroll home study students and private school students in one or more courses at a college and career academy which is geographically located within the student's resident school system, the same regional educational service agency (RESA) service area as the student's residence, or a local school system that is adjacent to the student's resident school system irrespective of whether such adjacent local school system is in the same RESA service area as the student's residence, so long as space is available in such course or courses.
(c) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this Code section, which may include, but not limited to:
(1) Forms for use by local school systems to enroll a home study student or a private school student;
(2) Timelines for enrolling and withdrawing from a course;
(3) Procedures for reporting academic progress and grades to the student's parent or guardian and the student's home study program or private school;
(4) Procedures for handling disciplinary issues that arise relating to home study students and private school students while attending the courses;
(5) Procedures for reporting disciplinary issues to the student's parent or guardian; and
(6) Any other procedures or requirements deemed necessary by the state board.
(d) Home study students and private school students enrolled in courses in college and career academies pursuant to this Code section shall meet all of the same requirements for enrollment and participation in a course; shall be subject to all rules, including the school's code of conduct; and shall be subject to any fees for a course which are applicable to the public school students enrolled in the college and career academy.
(e) Home study students and private school students shall be responsible for transportation to and from the college and career academy.
(f) A local board of education shall earn FTE funds for each home study student and private school student enrolled in one or more courses pursuant to this Code section at a college and career academy that has a charter with such local board of education. Such funds shall be earned in accordance with Code Section 20-2-160 for any one-sixth segment of the day or its block scheduling equivalent that each such student attends in a manner similar to nonresident students, or in accordance with State Board of Education guidelines established for such purpose. A local board of education shall not charge home study students or private school students tuition to enroll in a course pursuant to this Code section."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, and shall apply to all school years beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.