Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 179: Education; the academic and disciplinary records of each transferring student shall be provided within five days; require
Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date
A Georgia Senate bill would make a computer science course a high school graduation requirement starting with students graduating in 2037, raise the cap on Georgia Virtual School course fees, and require schools to let patriotic youth groups speak with students.
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 Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia currently encourages but does not require computer science instruction in schools. This bill changes that by requiring, beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, that students graduating in 2037 or later complete a computer science or computer-science-embedded CTAE course to graduate high school, without adding to total credit requirements. It also lets that course substitute for one unit of credit in math, science, CTAE, foreign language, fine arts, or electives under specific rules. The bill raises the per-student, per-semester tuition cap for the state's Georgia Virtual School from $250 to $350. It creates a new requirement that local school systems let representatives of "patriotic societies" like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts speak with students during school hours, with a notice and approval process for superintendents. Finally, it expands the definition of "private school" to include online-only schools that otherwise meet private school requirements, even if they don't meet the standard instructional-hours rule.
What the bill does
- Requires all local boards of education to make computer science (or a qualifying CTAE course) a graduation requirement for the class of 2037 and beyond, starting in the 2031-2032 school year.
- Allows a qualifying computer science or CTAE course to substitute for one unit of credit in subjects like math, science, foreign language, fine arts, CTAE, or electives, under detailed limits.
- Increases the maximum tuition local school systems can be charged for a Georgia Virtual School course from $250 to $350 per student per semester.
- Creates a new law requiring local school systems to let representatives of youth patriotic societies, such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, speak with students during school hours, subject to a 30-day notice and approval process.
- Requires school superintendents to give written reasons if they deny a patriotic society's request to visit, unless they offer an alternate date.
- Expands the legal definition of a private school to include online-only schools that meet other private school requirements but do not offer the standard 180-day, in-person school schedule.
Who it affects
Public high school students and their families, local school boards and superintendents, teachers who deliver computer science instruction, the Georgia Virtual School program, youth patriotic organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and online-only private schools seeking recognition under state law.
Why it matters
Students graduating from 2037 onward would need a computer science credit to earn a diploma, changing what schools must teach and how students plan their schedules years in advance. Families using Georgia Virtual School would pay up to $100 more per course, and schools would gain a new legal obligation to host patriotic youth groups.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-149.3 to require a computer science or CTAE-embedded computer science course for graduation starting with the 2031-2032 school year, applying to students graduating in 2037 or later.
- Section 1 details how the course can substitute for one credit in math, science, CTAE, modern language, fine arts, or electives, with limits on how many credits can be offset.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.1 to raise the maximum Georgia Virtual School tuition local school systems can be charged from $250 to $350 per student per semester course.
- Section 3 adds a new Code section, 20-2-324.10, requiring local school systems to allow patriotic societies like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to speak with students during school hours, following a notice and approval process with a 30-day advance request and a 7-day superintendent response window.
- Section 3 requires superintendents to give a written explanation if they deny a visit request without offering an alternative date, and states the section is void if any part is found invalid by a court.
- Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690 so that online-only nonpublic schools can qualify as private schools even without meeting the standard 180-day, four-and-a-half-hour school day requirement, as long as other private school criteria are met.
From the bill
“each local board of education shall require all students who will graduate in 2037 or later, as a condition of graduation from high school, to complete a course in computer science or a career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) course embedded with computer science”
“each local school system shall allow representatives of a patriotic society the opportunity to speak with students to promote good citizenship, civic education, and patriotism during school hours.”
Discussed in meetings (3)
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.
Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 2)
From 4:58:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A senator gave notice of an intention to move for Senate consideration of House action on the bill on the next legislative day. No discussion of the House changes or vote occurred in this transcript.
Senate floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29)
From 1:40:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor moved to agree to the House substitute for SB 179 with a Senate amendment. The sponsor said the original student-record transfer provisions had been moved into another school-safety measure. The clerk read that the House substitute would require computer science for graduation beginning in 2031-2032, allow certain course substitutions, raise the allowable Georgia Virtual School charge from $250 to $350 per student per semester, and include certain online schools in the private-school definition. The sponsor described the amendment as allowing civic groups, including scouting organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs, FFA, the American Legion and the Red Cross, to visit schools for civic education and recruitment with 30 days' notice. The sponsor said scheduling could be adjusted rather than forcing access. The clerk also read provisions requiring superintendent approval and written reasons for denials. Another senator asked whether the private-school definition change affected funding, notices or requirements. The sponsor could not explain its intent and said the House author would need to answer. The Senate agreed to the House substitute as amended, 48 to 3.
House floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36, AM)
From 2:31:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The House presenter moved to agree to the Senate amendment to the House substitute to SB 179. The presenter said that, despite its caption about transferring student records, the bill required computer science education for graduation. The presenter said the Senate left that requirement unchanged and added language encouraging school systems to provide access to patriotic societies promoting citizenship and patriotism. The minority leader questioned whether accommodating groups during school hours would burden districts and whether requiring written refusals could create controversy. The presenter said districts could decline requests by writing to the group and were not required to grant access. The presenter cited the Scouts, FFA, American Legion, and Red Cross as examples of organizations covered under Title 36. Another member said the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Computer Science Initiative began five years earlier and had reached more than 50 school districts, which the presenter affirmed. The House agreed to the Senate amendment, 99 to 66.
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 625
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub As Amended (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
Show full history (17 actions)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
- Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
- Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
- John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
- Frank Ginn (R, SD-47)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-4)
- Randal Mangham (D, SD-55)
- Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)
- Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 6, 2025
54 yea, 1 nay (0 not voting, 1 excused)
- House voteApril 4, 2025
169 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 7 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 9, 2026
48 yea, 3 nay (1 not voting, 3 excused)
- House voteMarch 23, 2026
99 yea, 66 nay (5 not voting, 6 excused)
Topics
- computer science education
- high school graduation requirements
- Georgia Virtual School
- school access for youth groups
- private school definition