HB1378: HB1378 Georgia Promise Scholarship Act; clarify student residency qualification for promise scholarship accounts

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (O.C.G.A. Article 2 of Chapter 2B of Title 20) lets eligible students use state funds for approved educational expenses if they qualify to attend certain public schools. Currently, the law says a student qualifies if they reside in the attendance zone of a school on the state's list of eligible public schools. This bill rewrites that residency rule in Code Section 20-2B-22. Instead of requiring residence in a specific attendance zone, the bill says a student qualifies if, based on their primary residence, they are enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a listed public school, or eligible to enroll in a qualifying kindergarten program at that school. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a separate effective date beyond standard practice.

• Rewrites the residency qualification rule in Georgia's Promise Scholarship law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2B-22) for determining which students can receive scholarship account funds.
• Replaces the requirement that a student live in a school's specific attendance zone with a broader test based on the student's primary residence and enrollment eligibility.
• Extends the eligibility language to cover students eligible to enroll in a qualifying kindergarten program at a listed school.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this revised eligibility standard.

Families applying for Georgia Promise Scholarship accounts, students seeking to qualify based on where they live, the public schools included on the state's approved list, and the state agency that administers the Promise Scholarship program.

By shifting the eligibility test from a strict attendance zone to a broader primary-residence standard, some students who previously would not have qualified for a Promise Scholarship account because of narrow zone boundaries may now become eligible based on where they live.

• Section 1 amends paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2B-22, which governs participating student qualifications for Promise Scholarship accounts.
• The revised language ties eligibility to a student's primary residence rather than residence within a specific school attendance zone.
• Eligibility now covers students enrolled or eligible to enroll in a listed public school under Code Section 20-2B-29, or eligible for a qualifying kindergarten program.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-18House Hopper (House)

• Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)Primary sponsor
• Patty Stinson (D, HD-150)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Miriam Paris (D, HD-142)

• school choice
• Georgia Promise Scholarship
• student eligibility
• education funding
• school attendance zones