SB 152: "Georgia Promise Scholarship Act"; the biological or adopted children of individuals who are foster parents and who meet certain conditions shall qualify for promise scholarship accounts; provide

Georgia's Promise Scholarship Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 2B of Title 20) lets some students get state funds for private school or other education costs if they meet income and school-related requirements. This bill adds a new path for children of foster parents: a biological or adopted child of someone who is an approved foster parent can qualify for a scholarship account even without meeting the normal requirement that the student live in, or be zoned for, an eligible public school, as long as the child meets several of the program's other rules, like age limits. The bill also lets the education savings authority (the agency running the program) send applicant names to the Department of Revenue to check family income against the program's income limits, and to the Department of Human Services to confirm whether an applicant's listed foster parent actually holds that status. It also revises how the existing attendance zone qualification and income prioritization rules for participating students work. The changes would take effect July 1, 2025.

• Creates a new qualification path (O.C.G.A. § 20-2B-22.1) letting biological or adopted children of foster parents qualify for Promise Scholarship accounts without the normal school attendance zone requirement.
• Defines 'biological or adopted child' and 'foster parent' for purposes of this new qualification path.
• Allows the education savings authority to share applicant names and income thresholds with the Department of Revenue to verify whether a family's income exceeds program limits.
• Allows the education savings authority to share foster parents' names with the Department of Human Services to confirm their foster parent status.
• Changes the existing school-based eligibility rule from residing in an eligible school's attendance zone to being currently enrolled in, or eligible to enroll in, such a school or its kindergarten program.
• Adjusts how the program prioritizes students when funding is limited, tying priority to income level and prior participation in the program.

Foster parents and their biological or adopted children who might seek Promise Scholarship funds, the state education savings authority that runs the program, the Department of Revenue, which would verify applicant income, and the Department of Human Services, which would verify foster parent status.

Families where a parent is an approved foster parent could gain scholarship access for their own children even if they do not live in or attend an eligible public school's zone. The information-sharing provisions would let two state agencies confirm income and foster status, which could affect who is approved or denied funding.

• Section 1 adds new subsections (d) and (e) to O.C.G.A. § 20-2B-5 allowing the education savings authority to share applicant data with the Department of Revenue for income verification and with the Department of Human Services for foster parent verification.
• Section 1 requires a cooperative agreement before the Department of Revenue shares data, and applies existing confidentiality and penalty provisions (O.C.G.A. §§ 48-7-60, 48-7-61) to anyone receiving that tax information.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2B-22 to base school eligibility on current or upcoming enrollment at an eligible public school or its kindergarten program, rather than residence in that school's attendance zone.
• Section 2 changes the funding priority rule so a student must both already be participating and have timely applied, rather than either one, to get priority when funds are limited.
• Section 3 creates new Code Section 20-2B-22.1, letting a child aged 4 to under 20 who is the biological or adopted child of a foster parent qualify for a scholarship account if they meet several other existing program requirements.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-04-02House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-03-04House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-03House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-28Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
6. 2025-02-28Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-02-28Senate Engrossed (Senate)
8. 2025-02-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)Primary sponsor
• John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
• John Albers (R, SD-56)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-16)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-37)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-21)
• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 28, 2025

   31 yea, 22 nay (2 not voting, 1 excused)

   MOTION TO ENGROSS: Senate Vote #107

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 28, 2025

   32 yea, 22 nay (1 not voting, 1 excused)

   PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #111

• Promise Scholarship program
• school choice
• foster care
• education funding
• student eligibility rules