SB597: SB597 "Student Legal Literacy and Life Skills Education Act"; enact

Georgia's public school curriculum rules, known as the Quality Basic Education Act, do not currently require a standalone course on legal rights and everyday life skills. This bill would add one. It directs the State Board of Education to adopt content standards by January 1, 2027 for a grades nine through 12 course covering constitutional rights, legal responsibilities, interactions with law enforcement, workplace rights and contracts, housing and tenant rights, and the consequences of breaking criminal law. Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, every local board of education and other public school governing body would have to require students to complete at least a half-credit course built on those standards sometime in grades nine through 12 as a condition of graduation. Schools could fold the course into existing classes, and it could count toward a social studies or elective credit requirement.

• Adds a new section to Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act creating a legal literacy and life skills course requirement for public high schoolers.
• Directs the State Board of Education to write content standards for the course by January 1, 2027, covering six specific topic areas.
• Requires local school boards and other public school governing bodies to make the course a graduation requirement starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
• Sets the course at a minimum of a half credit, completed anytime in grades nine through 12.
• Allows the course to be taught within existing classes and to count toward a social studies or elective credit.

Public high school students statewide, who would need this course to graduate; local school boards and other public school governing bodies, which must build and offer the course; and the State Board of Education, which must write the content standards.

Georgia students would gain required classroom exposure to topics like their rights during police encounters, tenant protections, and workplace contracts before finishing high school, while school districts would need to design or adapt coursework and scheduling to meet the new graduation requirement.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Student Legal Literacy and Life Skills Education Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2-149.5, requiring the State Board of Education to adopt content standards by January 1, 2027 for a grades 9-12 legal literacy and life skills course.
• The content standards must cover constitutional rights, legal responsibilities, interactions with law enforcement, employment rights and contracts, housing and tenant rights, and consequences of violating criminal law.
• Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, local school boards and other public school governing bodies must require students to complete at least a half-credit course based on those standards before graduating.
• The course may be integrated into existing coursework and can count toward a social studies or elective credit requirement.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-26Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-25Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)

• public education
• high school graduation requirements
• legal literacy
• civics education
• curriculum standards