SB 513: "Every Day Counts Act"; enact

In plain language

What the bill does

Who it affects

Why it matters

Key provisions

From the bill

Discussed in meetings (16)

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.

1. Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:38:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 513 would require district attendance review teams, additional teams at schools with chronic absenteeism rates of at least 15%, and individual attendance plans. The sponsor said chronically unexcused students would lose extracurricular eligibility until a planning meeting, while noncompliant students ages 15 to 17 could be denied new licenses or permits, without suspending existing ones. The sponsor reported a 19.5% statewide chronic absenteeism rate for 2024-2025 and said local schools would retain authority over excused absences. Supportive members said attendance supports learning and plans could uncover problems at home. One DeKalb County student described attendance-record errors; a second questioned counting one missed class as a full day; a third said tardies could accumulate into absences; and a fourth warned that licensing restrictions could worsen transportation barriers. An IDRA witness supported the approach but requested clearer definitions, notification requirements and ways for families to challenge decisions or meeting delays. Members questioned tying driving privileges to attendance. The sponsor described information-sharing as discretionary, while a member pointed to mandatory wording. The chair ended that exchange for time. Another member supported advancing the bill but sought further discussion of licensing restrictions and underlying causes. A vote followed, without a clearly announced result or count.

2. Senate Rules Committee, February 24, 2026

   From 0:15:11 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would address chronic unexcused school absences and incorporate three or four recommendations from a study committee. The sponsor described it as a priority of the president pro tempore and said its purpose was to keep students in school. A member asked about state constitutional requirements for K-12 education, and the sponsor said they could not explain them. Asked about penalties for missing school, the sponsor said the state defines chronic absenteeism as missing more than 10% of school and began describing an attendance intervention provision. The chair ended that explanation before details or penalties were given. Much of the questioning concerned the sponsor's first bill and personal attendance history. No vote was recorded.

3. Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 0:35:37 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill addresses chronic absenteeism in public schools. A committee member asked which committee had considered it and who led that committee; the sponsor confirmed Education and Youth and identified its leadership. Asked about a fiscal note, the sponsor said they did not have one. No further policy details were discussed. The committee later unanimously included the bill on the floor calendar.

4. Senate floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25)

   From 4:01:26 · 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 513 would require three levels of attendance support: school-wide encouragement, help for at-risk students and individual plans for chronically unexcused students. The sponsor said plans would involve families and monthly review, with extracurricular restrictions or delayed driving permits possible after failure to comply. Asked how schools would identify at-risk students, the sponsor said districts would define that within state guidelines. Questions also covered absence thresholds, the January 2027 effective date and funding. The sponsor said no fiscal note had been received and no funding need was anticipated. One senator opposed the bill because schools would receive additional duties without money. Supporters said it prioritized assistance before punishment and gave teachers tools to address absenteeism. One supporter cited chronic absence rates approaching 20 percent; another linked literacy gains in Alabama and Mississippi with declining absenteeism. Much of the questioning also involved traditional teasing of a first-time sponsor. The bill passed 46 to 1. The sponsor requested immediate transmission to the House, then withdrew that request.

5. House Education Committee, March 19, 2026

   From 0:20:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the substitute would require attendance review teams in every district and schools with chronic absenteeism of at least 15%, temporarily restrict activities, and potentially block new licenses or permits for noncompliant students ages 15 to 17. Existing licenses would remain unaffected. The sponsor cited a statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5% in 2024-2025. One member questioned penalizing children for parent-caused absences; the sponsor said schools would retain discretion. Another member warned that removing activities could increase dropouts. Asked about compliance, the sponsor said initially meeting with the school and signing a plan would qualify, with further intervention for continued absences. Another member sought explicit protection for activities tied to grades. The sponsor said those were already protected, but the chair requested legal review. Members also questioned inconsistent enforcement and licensing burdens. The sponsor initially described Driver Services as supportive, then neutral. A department witness raised concerns about customer delays, said applicants supply school documentation rather than agencies sharing it, and noted earlier reforms separating licensing from non-driving offenses. The sponsor said the effective date had moved to July 1, 2027. The chair made the bill hearing-only, took no vote, and requested revisions for Monday.

6. House Education Committee, March 23, 2026

   From 2:23:31 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: After resolving competing drafts and pausing for copies, the committee considered SB 513. The sponsor said it would require attendance review teams, personalized intervention plans for chronic unexcused absences, activity restrictions and possible delays in obtaining licenses or permits for noncompliant students ages 15 to 17. Existing licenses would not be suspended. The sponsor described revisions to activity definitions, state guidance, use of existing school enrollment certification forms and a July 1, 2027 effective date. The sponsor cited a statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5%, more than twice the pre-COVID rate. Members raised concerns about poverty, illness, employment, unlicensed driving and students returning through completion schools. One member called the approach too punitive. Supporters emphasized local flexibility and services before penalties. The sponsor said schools would consider family circumstances and that engagement with intervention planning would avoid penalties without requiring immediate resolution of absences. On review-team requirements, the sponsor described a rolling attendance measure and said schools could leave the requirement once below 15%. Members adopted an exemption for students enrolled in completion special schools. Legislative counsel clarified that it would not cover program students who remain enrolled in their home districts. The committee approved the bill as amended by voice vote, with opposition heard.

7. House Rules Committee, March 27, 2026

   From 0:35:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 513 would provide support and personalized attendance plans for public school students with chronic unexcused absences. Members questioned whether restricting extracurricular participation would improve attendance or instead punish children facing transportation problems, difficult home conditions or homelessness. They requested evidence supporting that restriction. The sponsor cited a Senate study committee’s recommendations but said the report would need to be checked for the specific evidence. The sponsor said the unexcused absence rate rose from about 9% before COVID to 19.5% in 2024 and 2025 despite incentive-based efforts. Asked about parents, the sponsor said plans would involve families and schools and be tailored locally. Asked about homelessness and school resources, the sponsor said the bill did not specifically address homeless students and described added state guidance and model policies, without identifying additional resources. Another member noted existing game-day attendance requirements and federal protections for homeless students, which the sponsor confirmed. No action was shown.

8. House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026

   From 1:07:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee considered placing SB 513 on the floor calendar under the modified structured rule. A member objected, and the chair called a voice vote. The motion carried, with no vote count stated. No substantive discussion of the bill was shown.

9. House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 1)

   From 0:43:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 4396

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 513 would require school attendance review teams and personalized intervention plans for chronically absent students. The sponsor cited Department of Education figures showing 19.5% of Georgia students were chronically absent. Students would lose extracurricular eligibility until meeting with a parent or guardian and the review team. Students ages 15 to 17 who did not comply with a plan could be denied a new driving permit or license, but existing licenses would not be suspended. One member questioned whether withholding licenses would worsen transportation problems. The sponsor said meetings would identify those barriers. Several opponents argued that poverty, illness, unstable housing, caregiving and unavailable parents cause absences, and that removing activities or driving access could further disconnect students. One opponent described childhood experiences involving domestic violence, utility shutoffs and broken vehicles. Other opponents questioned evidence of effectiveness, administrative costs and parental accountability. A supporting member called the restrictions useful incentives. The education committee chair said the Department of Driver Services had participated in developing the bill. The House adopted the substitute but rejected passage, 80 to 90. Members then approved reconsideration, 96 to 75, and later returned the bill to the Rules Committee without objection.

10. House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026

    From 0:24:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said the bill had been recommitted and that the new substitute removed all three sections concerning driver’s licenses and the Department of Driver Services. No further explanation of the remaining provisions was given. A member objected to approving the substitute, and the chair called a voice vote and announced that it carried. Later, a member objected to placing the substitute on the second supplemental calendar. Following another voice vote, the chair announced that it was on the calendar. No vote totals were stated.

• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 18, 2026 (legislative day 20), 0:26:23
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:39:49
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:22:08
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26, AM), 0:39:42
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM), 0:59:03
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37, AM), 0:41:49

Status timeline

Sponsors

Votes

Topics