HB1239: HB1239 Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act; enact

Georgia schools currently set their own attendance and excused absence policies without a specific carve-out for civic participation. This bill would change that by adding a new section to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-692.5). Each local school system and public school would have to adopt a policy granting students at least two excused absences per school year for attending or participating in a civic or political event, defined broadly to include strikes, public comments, candidate speeches, political or civil forums, town halls, and protests. Students (or their parent or guardian, unless the student is 18 or an emancipated minor) would have to notify the school at least one school day before the absence, and schools would have to document these absences. The State Board of Education would develop a model policy for schools to use. The law would take effect July 1, 2026, starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

• Adds a new Georgia law requiring local school systems and public schools to adopt a policy excusing at least two absences per school year for civic or political participation.
• Defines 'civic or political event' to include strikes, public comments, candidate speeches, political or civil forums, town halls, protests, and similar events.
• Requires advance notice: a parent, guardian, or eligible student must tell the school at least one school day before the absence.
• Requires schools to document absences excused under this new policy.
• Directs the State Board of Education to create a model policy that local systems and schools can use.
• Sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

K-12 students and their parents or guardians, local school systems and public schools, which must adopt the new attendance policy, and the State Board of Education, which must create a model policy for schools to follow.

Students who want to attend protests, town halls, candidate speeches, or similar events would have a guaranteed way to do so without being marked truant, as long as they give a day's notice. Schools would need to update attendance policies and tracking to comply.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Student Civic Participation and Encouragement Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code section 20-2-692.5, defining 'civic or political event' as a strike, public comment, candidate speech, political or civil forum, town hall, protest, or similar event.
• Section 2(b) requires local school systems and public schools to adopt a policy granting at least two excused absences per year for such events.
• Section 2(b)(1) requires notice from the parent, guardian, or eligible student at least one school day before the absence.
• Section 2(b)(2) requires documentation of absences excused under the policy.
• Section 2(c) requires the State Board of Education to develop a model policy for local use.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

1. 2026-02-10House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-09House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-06House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Primary sponsor
• David Wilkerson (D, HD-038)
• Akbar Ali (D, HD-106)
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)

• student attendance
• civics education
• school policy
• protests and political participation