Georgia Commons

Official Code of Georgia Annotated

Title 20. EDUCATION · Chapter 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION · Article 21. BRIEF PERIOD OF QUIET REFLECTION

20-2-1050. Brief period of quiet reflection authorized; nature of period.

Active

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

  1. (a)

    In each public school classroom, the teacher in charge shall, at the opening of school upon every school day, conduct a brief period of quiet reflection for not more than 60 seconds with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled.#

  2. (b)

    The moment of quiet reflection authorized by subsection (a) of this Code section is not intended to be and shall not be conducted as a religious service or exercise but shall be considered as an opportunity for a moment of silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day.#

  3. (c)

    The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section shall not prevent student initiated voluntary school prayers at schools or school related events which are nonsectarian and nonproselytizing in nature.#

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Ga. L. 1969, p. 488, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 256, §§ 2, 3.

Editor's notes

Ga. L. 1994, p. 256, § 1, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “The General Assembly finds that in today’s hectic society, all too few of our citizens are able to experience even a moment of quiet reflection before plunging headlong into the day’s activities. Our young citizens are particularly affected by this absence of an opportunity for a moment of quiet reflection. The General Assembly finds that our young, and society as a whole, would be well served if students were afforded a moment of quiet reflection at the beginning of each day in the public schools.” Ga. L. 1994, p. 256, § 4, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “If any portion of this bill is found to be unconstitutional, it shall be stricken and the remaining portions of this bill shall remain in full force and effect as if the stricken portion had not been enacted.”

Cross references

Freedom of conscience, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. I, Sec. I, Para. III. Religious opinions and freedom of religion, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. I, Sec. I, Para. IV.

Law reviews

For note on the 1994 amendment of this Code section, see 11 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 187 (1994).

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t20-ch1-2a-(v17)-2022-pdf.pdf, Volume V17, 2022 edition, pages 849 to 850; merge action: carried; file SHA-256 8daa8948bdb5.

Ask about this section

The answer is drawn from this section and, when they fit, the other sections of its chapter. It quotes the text and names the section for each claim. Not legal advice.

Answers come from this document. Not legal advice.

O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1050. Brief period of quiet reflection authorized; nature of period. | Georgia Commons