---
title: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-59. Rules; regulation of face masks.
collection: code
id: 20-2-59
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-59 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-59
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-59.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-59/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t20-ch1-2a-(v17)-2022-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=9db936c6_0#page=159
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: Effective until June 30, 2027. See note.
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  - version: For effective date, see note.
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    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-59.md?version=see+note
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EDUCATION / ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION / LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION
---

# O.C.G.A. § 20-2-59. Rules; regulation of face masks.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, each local school superintendent and local board of education shall make rules to govern their respective local school systems.

(b)(1) No local board of education shall make or enforce any rule pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section that requires students to wear face masks or face coverings while present in any area of a school or school grounds or other property owned or operated by the local school system unless such rule provides that a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such local school system may elect for his or her child to be exempt from such rule. A parent or guardian making such election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of such election by a parent or guardian.

(2) No local school superintendent shall make or enforce any rule pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section that requires students to wear face masks or face coverings while present in any area of a school or school grounds or other property owned or operated by the local school system unless such rule provides that a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such local school system may elect for his or her child to be exempt from such rule. A parent or guardian making such election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of such election by a parent or guardian.

(c) This Code section shall not be subject to waivers pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for a strategic waivers school system, Code Section 20-2-244 for a local board of education, Code Section 20-2-2063.2 for a charter system, or Code Section 20-2-2065 for a charter school established pursuant to Article 31 or Article 31A of this chapter, a charter system, or schools within a charter system.

## History

Ga. L. 1919, p. 288, § 88; Code 1933, § 32-912; Ga. L. 1956, p. 747, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1104, § 2; Ga. L. 2022, p. 23, § 2/SB 514.

The 2022 amendment, effective March 29, 2022, and repealed effective June 30, 2027, rewrote this Code section, which read: “The county school superintendent and county board of education shall make rules to govern the county schools of their county.”

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2022, p. 23, § 1/SB 514, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act.’”