Georgia General Assembly · Full text

SB 225: Education; discrimination on the basis of an individual's race due to a protective hairstyle, or length thereof, in any student dress or grooming policy; prohibit

Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 21, 2025 · Introduced

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Senate Bill 225

By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Jackson of the 41st, Merritt of the 9th, Wicks of the 34th, Sims of the 12th and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to education, so as to prohibit discrimination on the basis of an individual's race due to a protective hairstyle, or length thereof, in any student dress or grooming policy, program, or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives or benefits from state financial assistance, or enrolls students who receive state student financial aid; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to education, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"20-1-12.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) 'Discrimination' means any direct or indirect act or practice of exclusion, distinction, restriction, segregation, limitation, refusal, or denial or any other act or practice of differentiation or preference in the treatment of a person or persons because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, or age or the aiding, abetting, inciting, coercing or compelling of such an act or practice. This term shall not include any direct or indirect act or practice of exclusion, distinction, restriction, segregation, limitation, refusal, or denial or any other act or practice of differentiation or preference in the treatment of a person or persons because of religion if an educational institution demonstrates that it is unable to accommodate reasonably an individual's religious observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the educational institution's operation.

(2) 'Educational institution' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 20-1-10.

(3) 'Protective hairstyle' means braids, locs, twists, afro, or other textured hairdressing associated with an individual's race, color, or national origin.

(4) 'Race' includes traits associated with race, color, or national origin, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles.

(b) No individual shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of such individual's race due to a protective hairstyle, or length thereof, in any student dress or grooming policy, program, or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives or benefits from state financial assistance, or enrolls students who receive state student financial aid."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.