HB1294: HB1294 Education; grace period of up to 180 days for transfer students to be evaluated for and receive medical and education services based upon medical forms executed by out-of-state physicians; provide

Georgia public schools currently require certain medical forms, such as immunization records or documents needed for special education services, to be signed by a licensed physician. Out-of-state doctors are generally not licensed in Georgia, which can create delays for students who move to Georgia and enroll in public school. This bill adds a new section to Georgia law allowing schools to provisionally accept required medical forms signed by a transferring student's out-of-state physician for up to 180 days after the student first enrolls, as long as the form was signed within 180 days before enrollment. This grace period would not apply to eligibility rules for interscholastic athletics set by state law, state agencies, or athletic associations. The State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health would have to write rules to carry out the new provision.

• Creates a new Code section allowing Georgia public schools to provisionally accept required medical forms signed by a transferring student's out-of-state physician for up to 180 days after enrollment.
• Limits the grace period to forms signed no more than 180 days before the student's initial enrollment in a Georgia public school.
• Excludes interscholastic athletic eligibility rules from the grace period, so out-of-state medical forms cannot be used to meet athletic association or state athletic eligibility requirements.
• Defines key terms including 'out-of-state physician,' 'required medical form,' 'transferring student,' and 'athletic association.'
• Directs the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health to jointly adopt rules, regulations, and procedures to implement the new provision.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new provision.

Students who move to Georgia from another state and enroll in public elementary or secondary schools, their parents, out-of-state physicians who treated them before the move, Georgia public school staff who process medical paperwork, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health.

Transferring students could start school and receive needed medical or education services, such as special education evaluations or medication administration, without waiting for a Georgia-licensed physician to redo paperwork, though the grace period does not extend to sports eligibility rules.

• Adds new Code Section 20-2-779.5 to Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A., covering student health in Georgia schools.
• Subsection (a) defines 'athletic association,' 'out-of-state physician,' 'required medical form' (covering immunization records, special education evaluations, IEPs, Section 504 plans, diabetes and seizure action plans, and medication administration), and 'transferring student.'
• Subsection (b) sets the 180 day grace period for provisional acceptance of out-of-state medical forms, conditioned on the form being signed within 180 days before enrollment.
• Subsection (b) also carves out an exception stating the grace period does not satisfy athletic eligibility requirements under state law, state board or health department rules, or athletic association rules.
• Subsection (c) requires the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health to establish implementing rules, regulations, and procedures.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-18House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-17House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-12House Hopper (House)

• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)Primary sponsor
• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
• Marvin Lim (D, HD-098)
• David Wilkerson (D, HD-038)

• student health forms
• school transfers
• special education
• immunizations
• school sports eligibility