--- title: SB 65. Education; mandatory kindergarten for all children prior to entering into first grade; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb65 cite_as: SB 65, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb65 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb65.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb65/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69709 date: 2026-01-12 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb64.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb66.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 254 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb65.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 65 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-01-30 last_action: Senate Recommitted sponsors: - Derek Mallow - Billy Hickman - Jason Esteves - Freddie Sims - Carden Summers text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB65/2025 upstream_id: 1949598 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - kindergarten - public education - school attendance - education funding - Georgia schools --- # SB 65. Education; mandatory kindergarten for all children prior to entering into first grade; provide ## Text 25 LC 49 2324S The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following substitute to SB 65: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for mandat ory kindergarten for all2 children prior to entering into first grade; to provide for rel ated matters; to provide for3 contingent effectiveness; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and7 secondary education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-150, relat ing to eligibility for8 enrollment for educational programs, by revising subsection (c) as follows:9 "(c) All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the pu blic schools of this state10 prior to their seventh sixth birthday shall become subject to all of the provisions of this11 article, the provisions of Code Sections 20-2-690 through 20-2- 701, and the rules and12 regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory school attendance even13 though they have not attained seven six years of age."14 - 1 - 25 LC 49 2324S SECTION 2.15 Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-151, relat ing to general and career16 education programs, by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (b) as follows:17 "(1)(A) All local school systems may shall offer a full-day kindergarten program. For18 purposes of this subsection, the term 'full-day kindergarten program' means a student19 is provided classroom instruction for a minimum of four and one-half hours daily for20 a 180 day school year, or the equivalent thereof as determined in accordance with State21 Board of Education guidelines.22 (B) It is the policy of this state that all children shall att end a full-day kindergarten23 program for one school year prior to enrolling in first grade and that the purposes of the24 kindergarten such program shall be to provide all children with an equal opportu nity25 to become prepared for a successful first grade experience and to acquire the foundation26 for academic progress throughout the students' educational careers. To be eligible for27 enrollment in a state supported kindergarten program, a child must attain the age of five28 by September 1, except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of Code Section29 20-2-150;"30 SECTION 3.31 This Act shall become effective only upon the effective date of a specific appropriation of32 funds for purposes of this Act, as expressed in a line item making specific reference to such33 Act in a General Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.34 SECTION 4.35 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.36 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Senate committee substitute for SB 65 would make full-day kindergarten mandatory for Georgia children before they enter first grade, but only once the General Assembly specifically funds it. ### Plain-language summary Right now, Georgia law lets local school systems offer full-day kindergarten but does not require every child to attend it before first grade. This substitute bill changes that policy by declaring that all children must attend a full-day kindergarten program for one school year before enrolling in first grade, and it requires local school systems to offer that program rather than merely allowing it. The bill also lowers the compulsory attendance age trigger, so a child enrolled 20 or more school days in a Georgia public school before turning six, instead of seven, becomes subject to compulsory attendance rules. The changes would not take effect automatically. Under Section 3, the law only becomes effective once the General Assembly passes a specific budget line item funding it, meaning the mandate is contingent on future state appropriations. ### What it does - Changes state policy from allowing full-day kindergarten to requiring all children to attend it for one school year before first grade (Code Section 20-2-151). - Requires every local school system to offer a full-day kindergarten program instead of leaving that decision optional. - Lowers the age at which a child becomes subject to compulsory school attendance rules after 20+ school days of enrollment, from before their seventh birthday to before their sixth birthday (Code Section 20-2-150). - Keeps the existing kindergarten eligibility rule that a child must turn five by September 1 to enroll in a state-supported kindergarten program. - Delays the entire law from taking effect until the General Assembly passes a specific funding line item for it in a General Appropriations Act. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these new requirements. ### Who it affects Families with young children approaching kindergarten age, local school systems that must now offer full-day kindergarten, the State Board of Education, which sets related guidelines, and the General Assembly, which must approve specific funding before the mandate takes effect. ### Why it matters If funded, families would no longer have the option to skip full-day kindergarten before first grade, and school districts without existing full-day programs would need to create them. Because the law only kicks in with a specific appropriation, its practical effect depends entirely on future state budget decisions. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends Code Section 20-2-150 so children enrolled 20 or more school days become subject to compulsory attendance rules before age six instead of age seven. - Section 2 amends Code Section 20-2-151 to require local school systems to offer full-day kindergarten and to state it is now official policy that all children attend it for one year before first grade. - Section 2 defines a full-day kindergarten program as at least four and a half hours of daily classroom instruction over a 180-day school year, or an equivalent set by the State Board of Education. - Section 2 keeps the existing rule that a child must turn five by September 1 to be eligible for a state-supported kindergarten program. - Section 3 makes the entire Act's effectiveness contingent on the General Assembly passing a specific budget appropriation naming this Act. - Section 4 repeals any conflicting state laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-01-30) - Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12) - Sponsors: Derek Mallow, Billy Hickman, Jason Esteves, Freddie Sims, Carden Summers - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69709 > The history, votes, and amendments (254 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb65.md?full=1