HB1232: HB1232 Education; certain students be excused from school for participating in certain officially sanctioned visits to the state capitol; provide

Under current Georgia law, students who miss school, even for organized civic activities, can have that time counted as an absence unless a specific exception applies. This bill adds a new exception to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 16). The bill, called the 'Teagan Church Act,' says that a student who is a member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and takes part in an official Girl Scout sanctioned visit to the Georgia State Capitol must be marked present by their school, treated the same way as a student on an educational field trip. That time would not count as either an excused or unexcused absence. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Creates a new Georgia Code section (20-2-692.5) giving Girl Scouts an attendance exemption for official Capitol visits.
• Requires schools to mark a participating Girl Scout as present, treating the visit the same as an educational field trip.
• Specifies the missed time counts as neither an excused nor unexcused absence, removing any attendance penalty.
• Names the provision the 'Teagan Church Act' as its official short title.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this new rule.

The bill affects public school students who are members of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, the schools that track their attendance, and Girl Scout troop leaders who organize official visits to the Georgia State Capitol.

Students who join Girl Scout trips to the Capitol would no longer risk an attendance mark against them, similar to protections already given to field trips. This removes a potential barrier for students wanting to take part in civic education visits organized by Girl Scouts.

• Section 1 adds new Code section 20-2-692.5 to the compulsory attendance law under Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 16.
• Subsection (a) names the short title as the 'Teagan Church Act.'
• Subsection (b) defines the covered activity as participation in an official Girl Scout sanctioned visit to the Georgia State Capitol and requires schools to record such students as present, not absent.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2026-02-10House Second Readers (House)
5. 2026-02-09House First Readers (House)
6. 2026-02-06House Hopper (House)

• Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)Primary sponsor
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)

• school attendance
• Girl Scouts
• state capitol visits
• education policy