Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 497: School Students; written notification to a parent when a student receives certain noninstructional services from certain school employees; require
Last action March 6, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia Senate bill would require school counselors, nurses, social workers and other school employees to notify a parent in writing within 48 hours whenever a student receives noninstructional services like counseling.
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 Engrossed version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently Georgia's Parents' Bill of Rights (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-786) gives parents broad rights to information about their children's education, but it does not specifically address notification when school staff provide counseling or similar noninstructional services. This bill adds a new Code section, 20-2-786.1, requiring school counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, student advocacy specialists, administrators, and teachers to document any noninstructional services (such as therapeutic counseling) they provide to a student and to notify the student's parent in writing within 48 hours. The bill carves out an exception: notification can be delayed if the employee reasonably believes the student is in imminent danger of harming themselves or someone else, or that suspected child abuse is occurring, and notifying the parent would make things worse. In those cases the employee must tell the school principal within 12 hours and explain the decision in writing. Local school districts must adopt policies to carry this out by July 1, 2026. The bill also updates definitions in the existing Parents' Bill of Rights and adds the new notification right to the list of parental rights. It would take effect once signed by the Governor.
What the bill does
- Creates a new requirement that school employees document any noninstructional services, such as therapeutic counseling, given to a student as part of the student's official education records.
- Requires written parental notification within 48 hours whenever a school employee provides such noninstructional services to a student.
- Allows employees to skip immediate parental notification if they reasonably believe the student faces imminent danger of self-harm, harm to others, or ongoing child abuse, and notifying would make the danger worse.
- Requires an employee who withholds notification under that exception to notify the school principal in writing within 12 hours, explaining the reason.
- Requires every local school district (local education agency) to adopt policies implementing these rules by July 1, 2026.
- Adds the new notification requirement to the list of parental rights spelled out in Georgia's Parents' Bill of Rights (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-786) and updates several definitions in that law.
Who it affects
Public elementary and secondary school students and their parents, along with school counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, student advocacy specialists, administrators, and teachers who provide counseling or similar services, plus local school districts that must write new compliance policies.
Why it matters
Parents would gain a guaranteed, fast notice when their child receives counseling or similar services at school, changing how school staff currently handle confidentiality around sensitive conversations. School employees would face new recordkeeping and reporting duties, with a narrow safety exception when notifying a parent could increase danger to the student.
Key provisions
- Section 1 redesignates O.C.G.A. § 20-2-786 (Parents' Bill of Rights) as Part 6 and adds definitions for terms like 'education records,' 'local education agency,' 'principal,' 'school,' and 'student.'
- Section 1 adds a new parental right to receive the written notification required under new Code Section 20-2-786.1.
- New Code Section 20-2-786.1(b) requires school employees to record every instance of noninstructional services provided to a student as part of that student's education records.
- New Code Section 20-2-786.1(c)(1) sets the 48-hour deadline for written notice to a parent after noninstructional services are provided.
- New Code Section 20-2-786.1(c)(2) creates an exception when notification would worsen imminent danger of self-harm, harm to others, or suspected child abuse, requiring notice to the principal within 12 hours instead.
- New Code Section 20-2-786.1(d) requires local education agencies to adopt implementing policies, rules, or regulations by July 1, 2026.
- Section 2 makes the law effective as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.
From the bill
“each time a student receives noninstructional services from a school employee, written notification shall be provided to the student's parent as soon as practicable but in no case later than 48 hours after such noninstructional services were provided”
“'Noninstructional services' means medical, nursing, or therapeutic counseling services provided to a student that are not part of instruction or instruction related services relating to state approved courses”
“The student presents an imminent danger of harming himself, herself, or another and the parental notification required in paragraph (1) of this subsection would exacerbate such danger”
Discussed in meetings (9)
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 Education and Youth Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:59:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 497 would require records of noninstructional medical, nursing and therapeutic counseling services and written parental notice within 48 hours. Parents could appeal denied information requests or requests unanswered for 30 days. The sponsor described exceptions for self-harm, harm to others, suspected abuse or danger from notifying parents, with notice to the principal within 12 hours. Asked whether minor nurse visits would qualify, the sponsor said that was not intended. A Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice witness opposed the bill, arguing that placing health and counseling records in education files would remove HIPAA protections, expand school staff access and discourage use of services. The witness said the language also covered contracted clinicians and telehealth, and cited 2024 reports that 20,000 Georgia sixth graders considered self-harm and 11,000 considered suicide. A witness affiliated with the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention warned that notification could increase danger at home and discourage students and staff from early conversations that prevent crises. The committee approved the bill with seven votes in favor. Opposing votes were acknowledged afterward, but no opposition count was stated.
Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 0:33:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would require school systems to notify parents when a student meets with a school counselor. The sponsor said notification would not be required when child abuse was suspected or when notifying a parent could harm the child. No questions followed, and the bill was not selected for the floor calendar.
Senate Rules Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:14:54 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: Speakers described SB 497 as ensuring parents are informed, without explaining what information would be required. A member later selected it for the floor calendar. The committee unanimously approved the calendar containing the bill.
Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26)
From 3:39:03 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 497 would require schools to document non-instructional medical, nursing and therapeutic counseling services provided to minors and notify parents in writing within 48 hours. The sponsor described therapeutic services as primarily addressing mental or emotional health rather than academics. The sponsor said parents could appeal to the school board if a principal or superintendent denied an information request or did not respond within 30 days. According to the sponsor, staff acting in good faith could withhold parent notification when abuse was suspected or notification could lead to self-harm, but would have to notify the principal within 12 hours. One member asked whether confidential counseling unrelated to abuse would still have to be reported home. The sponsor said notification would generally be required unless the safety exception applied. Another member asked about federal medical-privacy requirements and disclosure to principals. The sponsor said federal law would take precedence where laws conflicted. The Senate passed the bill 34-18.
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 12, 2026 (legislative day 18), 0:23:44
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:19:04
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24), 0:36:09
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM), 0:52:58
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, AM), 1:04:48
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
- Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
- Carden Summers (R, SD-13)
- Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
- Drew Echols (R, SD-49)
- Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
- Blake Tillery (R, SD-19)
- Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)
- Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-21)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
- Max Burns (R, SD-23)
- Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
- Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-11)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
34 yea, 18 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- parental rights
- school counseling
- student privacy
- education records
- Parents' Bill of Rights