HB1505: HB1505 Quality Basic Education Act; prescribed course of study in sex education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention instruction is age appropriate and medically accurate; provide

Georgia law already requires local school boards to teach a course in sex education and HIV prevention, but this bill adds new requirements for that instruction. It defines 'medically accurate' as based on sound scientific evidence and accepted medical knowledge, and requires that all sex education and HIV prevention courses be age appropriate and medically accurate. The bill adds instruction on personal boundaries and responsibility in relationships to the list of required topics, alongside existing topics like peer pressure, self esteem, and abstinence. The bill also updates the timeline for the State Board of Education to prepare its minimum course of study, moving the deadline to August 1, 2027, with local boards required to implement it by July 1, 2028. Local boards that offer both an abstinence based and a comprehensive course must let parents choose in writing, and default to the abstinence based course if no choice is made. Parents keep the right to opt their child out entirely.

• Requires that sex education and HIV prevention courses taught in Georgia public schools be age appropriate and medically accurate, defining that term based on scientific evidence and accepted medical knowledge.
• Adds instruction on personal boundaries and responsibility in relationships to the list of required topics local school boards must cover.
• Sets new deadlines: the State Board of Education must finish its minimum course of study by August 1, 2027, and local boards must implement it by July 1, 2028.
• Requires local boards offering both an abstinence based and a comprehensive sex education course to let parents pick in writing, defaulting to the abstinence based course if no choice is made.
• Requires all curricula under this law to emphasize sexual abstinence as the best method of avoiding pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and other harms from underage sexual activity.
• Keeps a parent's or legal guardian's existing right to opt their child out of the sex education course entirely.

Local school boards and the State Board of Education, which must update their sex education and HIV prevention curricula; public school students who receive the instruction; and parents and legal guardians, who gain a written choice between course types and retain the right to opt their child out.

Georgia families could see changes to what their children are taught in sex education classes, including new content on personal boundaries and responsibility, a formal accuracy standard for the material, and a clearer process for choosing between abstinence based and comprehensive courses or opting out altogether.

• Subsection (a) defines 'medically accurate' as based on sound scientific evidence, accepted medical knowledge, and reputable medical authorities and research.
• Subsection (a.1)(1) requires local boards to prescribe an age-appropriate, medically accurate course covering personal boundaries and responsibility, peer pressure, self-esteem, community values, legal consequences of parenthood, and abstinence.
• Subsection (a.1)(2) requires local boards offering both an abstinence based and comprehensive course to let parents choose in writing, defaulting to the abstinence based course if no selection is made.
• Subsection (b) requires the State Board of Education to prescribe a minimum age-appropriate, medically accurate course of study, including content on human biology, legal consequences of parenthood, and sexual abuse and assault awareness for kindergarten through grade nine.
• Subsection (c) moves the implementation deadline for the state's minimum course of study to August 1, 2027, and requires local boards to implement it or an equivalent by July 1, 2028.
• Subsection (d) preserves a parent's or legal guardian's right to exempt their child from the course in writing.
• Subsection (e) requires all curricula under this law to emphasize sexual abstinence as the best method of avoiding pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and other harms from underage sexual activity.

1. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Will Wade (R, HD-009)Primary sponsor
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)

• sex education
• HIV prevention
• public schools
• curriculum standards
• parental rights