Georgia CommonsSB 589: "Quality Basic Education Act"; the date by which a child must attain a certain age to be eligible for enrollment in kindergarten or first grade; revise
Last action May 12, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-07-01
Georgia's Senate has passed a bill giving parents more say over when their four, five, or six year olds start school, and requiring middle and high schools to print a suicide hotline message on student ID badges.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Under current Georgia law, whether a child enrolls in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or first grade depends largely on their birthdate relative to a state cutoff. This bill changes that by giving parents and guardians more direct control. Any child who turns four or five by September 1 becomes eligible for Georgia's Pre-K Program at a parent's request, with four and five year olds treated equally when seats are limited. Separately, a child who would otherwise be old enough for first grade can instead be enrolled in kindergarten if the parent requests it. The bill also creates the 'You Are Not Alone Awareness Act.' Starting July 1, 2026, any Georgia public school that issues student ID badges to students in grades six through 12 must print a specific message on new badges directing students to call or text the 9-8-8 crisis hotline. The whole law takes effect July 1, 2026 and applies starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
What the bill does
- Lets parents enroll a four or five year old in Georgia's Pre-K Program at their request, treating both ages equally for available seats.
- Allows parents of a child old enough for first grade to instead enroll that child in kindergarten.
- Requires public schools issuing ID badges to students in grades six through 12 to print a 9-8-8 suicide and crisis hotline message on badges issued after July 1, 2026.
- Sets the law's effective date as July 1, 2026, applying beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these changes.
Who it affects
Parents and guardians of preschool and early elementary age children, Georgia's Pre-K Program providers, local school systems and public schools that issue student ID badges, and middle and high school students in grades six through 12 who receive those badges.
Why it matters
Families would gain more flexibility in deciding when a young child starts formal schooling rather than being bound strictly by age cutoffs. Meanwhile, older students would see a consistent, visible reminder on their school ID about how to reach crisis support during a mental health or substance abuse emergency.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds subsection (b.1) to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150, making children who turn four or five by September 1 eligible for Georgia's Pre-K Program at a parent's request, capped at one year of enrollment.
- Section 1 also adds subsection (b.2), letting a parent choose kindergarten instead of first grade for a child who is otherwise age-eligible for first grade.
- Section 2 creates new Code Section 20-2-779.5, the 'You Are Not Alone Awareness Act,' requiring the 9-8-8 hotline message on student ID badges for grades six through 12 issued on or after July 1, 2026.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying to school years starting with 2026-2027.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“each child who attains the age of either four or five by September 1 shall be eligible for enrollment in a voluntary pre-kindergarten program provided and operated as part of Georgia's Pre-K Program, and each such child shall be enrolled in such program at the request of his or her parent or guardian”
“9-8-8 - You are not alone. Right now, anyone experiencing a suicidal crisis, emotional distress, or challenges with substance abuse should call or text 9-8-8. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-07-01
- Act 633
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
Show full history (18 actions)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
- Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
- Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
- Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)
- John Albers (R, SD-056)
- Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
- Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 6, 2026
54 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)
- House voteMarch 27, 2026
156 yea, 3 nay (4 not voting, 13 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
49 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- pre-kindergarten enrollment
- kindergarten enrollment
- student ID badges
- suicide prevention hotline
- Georgia public schools