SB479: SB479 Compulsory Attendance; adopt a policy that students shall be granted not less than one excused absence for attending or participating in a civic or political event; require the local governing body

Georgia's compulsory attendance law currently does not guarantee students an excused absence for participating in civic or political activities. This bill would add a new section to that law requiring the governing body of each local school system and public school to adopt a policy granting students at least one excused absence per school year for attending or participating in a civic or political event. The bill defines a civic or political event broadly to include a strike, public comment, candidate speech, political or civil forum, town hall, protest, or similar event. 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 excused absences. The State Board of Education would develop a model policy for schools to use. The change would take effect July 1, 2026, starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

• Adds a new section to Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. Title 20) requiring local school systems and public schools to adopt a policy on excused absences for civic or political events.
• Guarantees students at least one excused absence per school year for attending or participating in a civic or political event, defined broadly to include protests, town halls, and public comment.
• Requires advance notice from a parent, guardian, or the student (if 18 or older or emancipated) 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 school systems and schools can use.
• Sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year.

Public elementary and secondary school students and their parents or guardians, local school system governing bodies, individual public schools that must adopt attendance policies, and the State Board of Education, which must create a model policy.

Students who want to attend a protest, town hall, candidate speech, or similar event would have a guaranteed excused absence each year rather than risking an unexcused absence, as long as they or their parents give one school day's notice and the school documents it.

• New Code Section 20-2-692.5(a) defines 'civic or political event' to include a strike, public comment, candidate speech, political or civil forum, town hall, protest, or similar event.
• Subsection (b) requires local governing bodies to adopt a policy granting at least one excused absence per school year for such events.
• Subsection (b)(1) requires notice from the parent, guardian, or student at least one school day before the absence.
• Subsection (b)(2) requires documentation of absences excused under this policy.
• Subsection (c) directs the State Board of Education to develop a model policy for local systems and schools to use.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-09Senate Hopper (Senate)

• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)Primary sponsor
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)

• school attendance
• student rights
• civic engagement
• education policy