SB 497: School Students; written notification to a parent when a student receives certain noninstructional services from certain school employees; require

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Third Read (Senate)
5. 2026-02-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
6. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-12Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-11Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)Primary sponsor
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   34 yea, 18 nay (1 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #612

• parental rights
• school counseling
• student privacy
• education records
• Parents' Bill of Rights