HB995: HB995 Vape-Free Schools Act; enact

Georgia does not currently require public high schools to use vaping detectors or have a specific vaping policy in student conduct codes. This bill, called the Vape-Free Schools Act, would add a new section to Georgia law creating the Vape-Free Schools Grant Program, run by the State Board of Education, to help pay for detectors that alert staff by silent alarm when vaping happens in areas like bathrooms and locker rooms. By December 31, 2026, the State Board of Education would have to set up the grant program and a model vaping prevention policy, while the Department of Education, working with public health officials, would create a list of approved detectors and guidance on partnering with rehabilitation services. Before the 2027-2028 school year, every local school board would have to require high schools to install detectors and adopt a conduct code policy covering prohibited vaping, graduated discipline, anonymous reporting, and investigation procedures. Importantly, none of this takes effect unless the General Assembly actually appropriates funding for it, and the whole section repeals automatically on December 31, 2026 if no funding is provided by September 30, 2026.

• Creates the Vape-Free Schools Grant Program within the State Board of Education to fund vaping detectors for public high schools (grades nine through 12).
• Requires the Department of Education to publish an approved list of vaping detectors and develop guidance for partnerships with student rehabilitation services.
• Requires local school boards to install vaping detectors in bathrooms, locker rooms, and similar areas before the 2027-2028 school year.
• Requires schools to add a vaping policy to their student code of conduct, covering prohibited conduct, graduated discipline, anonymous complaints, and investigation procedures.
• Makes the entire new law contingent on the legislature appropriating specific funding, and automatically repeals it if no funding arrives by September 30, 2026.

Public high school students and staff, local school boards and their governing bodies, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Administrative Services, which would all have roles in setting up or complying with the grant program and detector requirements.

If funded, high schools would gain detectors and formal disciplinary procedures aimed at curbing student vaping, potentially changing how schools monitor bathrooms and locker rooms and how they discipline students caught vaping. If the legislature never appropriates money, none of these changes take effect.

• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-776.6 creating the grant program, with the State Board of Education setting award criteria, terms, and conditions by December 31, 2026.
• Subsection (c) directs the Department of Education, with public health and administrative agencies, to publish a list of approved vaping detectors and guidance on rehabilitation partnerships.
• Subsection (d) requires local boards to mandate detector installation and a student code of conduct vaping policy before the 2027-2028 school year, including graduated consequences and anonymous complaint procedures.
• Subsection (f) requires annual reporting to the Department of Public Health and the House and Senate education committees on vaping alerts and detector effectiveness.
• Subsection (g) clarifies schools may install detectors at their own expense and exempts schools that already had qualifying detectors installed before July 1, 2026.
• Section 3 makes the entire new Code section contingent on a specific legislative appropriation, with automatic repeal on December 31, 2026 if funding is not secured by September 30, 2026.

1. 2026-01-27House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-16House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)Primary sponsor
• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)
• Anissa Jones (D, HD-143)

• vaping in schools
• school safety
• student discipline
• education funding
• public high schools