---
title: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316.3. Prohibition of religious expression of student athletes by athletic association.
collection: code
id: 20-2-316.3
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316.3 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-316.3
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-316.3.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-316.3/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t20-ch1-2b-(v17)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=bfd7f2d1_0#page=162
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EDUCATION / ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION / QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION / OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316.3. Prohibition of religious expression of student athletes by athletic association.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “athletic association” means any association of schools or any other similar organization which acts as an organizing, sanctioning, scheduling, or rule-making body for interscholastic athletic or literary events or other school activities in which public high schools in this state participate.

(b) No high school which receives funding under this article shall participate in, sponsor, or provide coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events which are conducted under the authority of, conducted under the rules of, or scheduled by any athletic association which prohibits personal and voluntary religious expression of student athletes other than as required to protect the safety of the participants or the conduct of the athletic event in a manner consistent with the rules of the particular athletic event.

(c) No high school which receives funding under this article shall participate in, sponsor, or provide coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events which are conducted under the authority of, conducted under the rules of, or scheduled by any athletic association which prohibits its member schools from organizing and playing scrimmage games, matches, or other athletic competitions with schools which are not member schools even though:

(1) Prior to such athletic competition, the administrators of both schools agree in writing to participate in such competition;

(2) Each school is in compliance with the requirements of Code Section 20-2-319.2;

(3) Each school is in compliance with the requirements of Code Section 20-2-324.1; and

(4) Such athletic competitions are limited to high school student athletes.

(d) No high school which receives funding under this article shall participate in, sponsor, or provide coaching or support staff for interscholastic athletic or literary events or other school activities which are conducted under the authority of, conducted under the rules of, or scheduled by any athletic association that is a member of a national association, federation, or alliance of high school athletic, literary, or school activities associations that does not include or recognize all other voluntary nonprofit athletic, literary, or school activities associations of Georgia high schools in compliance with the requirements of Code Section 20-2-319.2 and Code Section 20-2-324.1 as a member or affiliate member with all the rights and privileges associated with membership in said association, federation, or alliance.

## History

Code 1981, § 20-2-316.3, enacted by Ga. L. 2016, p. 604, § 1/SB 309; Ga. L. 2024, p. 335, § 1/HB 51, effective July 1, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, substituted “or literary events or other school activities” for “events” near the end of subsection (a) and added subsection (d).