HB1477: HB1477 Special Education Advocate Registration Act; enact

Parents of children with disabilities often work with special education advocates, people who are not lawyers but who help families navigate disputes under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Right now Georgia does not license or track these advocates. This bill would create a state registration system run by the Department of Education. Advocates who charge for their services would have to register annually, pass a criminal background check, show competency and experience, complete yearly training, and follow a code of ethics the State Board of Education would write covering professional conduct and billing practices. The department would post a public list of registered advocates online, and schools would have to tell parents of children with disabilities how to find that list, using the same process as existing IDEA notices. The bill does not let advocates practice law.

• Creates a state registration requirement for paid special education advocates who represent families in IDEA administrative proceedings, effective through a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-21).
• Requires applicants to pass a criminal background check through Georgia and federal records and to have no disqualifying criminal record.
• Requires advocates to show competency and experience, complete yearly training, and follow a state ethics code before registering or renewing.
• Directs the State Board of Education to write a code of ethics covering professional conduct and billing practices, developed with input from advocates and other groups.
• Requires the Department of Education to post a public list of registered advocates online and requires schools to tell parents of children with disabilities how to access it.
• Sets registration to last one year, renewable annually, with fees set by the state board to cover processing costs.

Special education advocates who charge for helping families in IDEA disputes, parents and guardians of children with disabilities, local school systems and public schools that must notify parents, and the Department of Education and State Board of Education, which run the registration and ethics program.

Families relying on paid advocates in special education disputes would gain a public registry and background-check requirement, giving them more information before hiring someone. Advocates would face new costs and requirements, including fees, training, and ethics rules, to keep working in Georgia.

• Section 1 gives the bill the short title 'Special Education Advocate Registration Act.'
• Section 2 adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-21, defining terms including 'special education advocate,' 'criminal record,' and 'criminal background check.'
• Subsection (b) requires registration, an application, and a fee, with registration lasting one year and renewable annually.
• Subsection (c) sets qualification requirements: a clean criminal background check, demonstrated competency and experience, annual training, and compliance with the ethics code.
• Subsection (d) requires the State Board of Education to adopt a code of ethics covering professional standards and billing practices, developed with advocate input.
• Subsection (e) requires the department to post a public list of registered advocates and requires schools to notify parents of children with disabilities about the list.
• Subsection (f) clarifies the law does not authorize advocates to practice law.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-26House Hopper (House)

• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)Primary sponsor
• Long Tran (D, HD-080)
• Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)

• special education
• disability rights
• education policy
• IDEA advocacy
• occupational licensing