Senate Bill 381
By: Senators Kemp of the 38th, Howard of the 35th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the
41st, Parent of the 44th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide for grants to eligible local
units of administration for students living in poverty; to provide for definitions; to provide
for the calculation of grant amounts; to provide that a minimum required portion of grant
funds be used by local units of administration for direct program expenditures for the benefit
of students living in poverty; 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 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
"Quality Basic Education Act," is amended in Part 5, relating to program weights and
funding requirements, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-193.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
</ins>
<ins>(1) 'Student in foster care' means a student enrolled in a public school who is placed in
a foster family home, child care institution, or another substitute care setting approved
by the Department of Human Services or Division of Family and Children Services.
(2) 'Student living in poverty' means a student enrolled in a public school who meets one
or more of the following criteria:
(A) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
(B) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) benefits;
(C) Is a student in foster care; or
(D) Is a student without stable housing.
(3) 'Student without stable housing' means a student enrolled in a public school who
meets the definition of the term 'homeless children and youths' under the federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. Section 11301, et seq.,
in force and effect as of January 1, 2026.
(b) The State Board of Education shall provide grants to eligible local units of
administration for the purpose of supplementing services and instruction to students living
in poverty, subject to appropriations by the General Assembly. Such grants shall be
provided beyond those funds to which local units of administration otherwise are entitled
to by the provisions of this article and other statutes. The State Board of Education shall
establish the manner by which a local unit of administration shall demonstrate that it is
eligible to receive a grant under this Code section.
(c) The Department of Education shall calculate the grant amount for each eligible local
unit of administration to be used under this Code section by multiplying the total number
of students living in poverty who are enrolled in such eligible local unit of administration
as of the date of the initial enrollment count each year as set forth in Code Section 20-2-160
by an amount equal to 25 percent of the base amount calculated as set forth in Code Section
</ins>
<ins>20-2-161. At least 90 percent of the grant funds received by an eligible local unit of
administration under this Code section shall be used for direct program expenditures for
the benefit of students living in poverty for which the grant is provided under this Code
section. Any portion of that 90 percent not so expended shall be returned to the State
Board of Education."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.