SB 479: Compulsory Attendance; adopt a policy that students shall be granted not less than one excused absence for attending or participating in a civic or political event; require the local governing body

Georgia's compulsory attendance law currently does not guarantee students an excused absence for civic or political activities like protests, town halls, or candidate speeches. This bill would add a new section to that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-692.5) requiring the local governing body of each school system and public school to adopt a policy granting students at least one excused absence per school year for attending or participating in such events. The bill defines a 'civic or political event' broadly to include strikes, public comment, candidate speeches, political or civil forums, town halls, protests, or similar events. Students or their parents would need to notify the school at least one school day before the planned absence, and schools would have to document these excused absences. The State Board of Education would create a model policy for schools to use. The change would take effect July 1, 2026, and apply starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

• Adds a new Code section requiring local school systems and public schools to adopt a policy granting at least one excused absence per school year for civic or political events.
• Defines 'civic or political event' to include strikes, public comment, candidate speeches, political or civil forums, town halls, protests, or similar events.
• Requires advance notice from a parent, guardian, or student (if 18 or an emancipated minor) at least one school day before the absence.
• Requires schools to document absences excused under this new policy.
• Directs the State Board of Education to create a model policy for local systems and schools to use.
• Sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

K-12 students and their parents or guardians across Georgia, local school systems and public schools that must adopt the new attendance policy, and the State Board of Education, which must create a model policy for schools to follow.

Students who want to attend protests, town halls, candidate speeches, or similar events would have a guaranteed excused absence, protecting them from attendance penalties. Schools would need to update attendance policies, track a new category of excused absence, and require advance notice before the event.

• Section 1 adds new Code section 20-2-692.5 defining 'civic or political event' as a strike, public comment, candidate speech, political or civil forum, town hall, protest, or similar event.
• Section 1 requires local governing bodies of school systems and public schools to adopt a policy granting at least one excused absence per school year for such events.
• The policy must require notice from the parent, guardian, or eligible student at least one school day before the absence, and must require documentation of the excused absence.
• Section 1 directs the State Board of Education to develop a statewide model policy for schools to use.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

1. 2026-02-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-09Senate Hopper (Senate)

• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)Primary sponsor
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)

• school attendance policy
• student rights
• civic engagement
• K-12 education
• Georgia schools