HB 198: Education; use of school facilities by certain youth groups; provide

The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 198:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the use of local school system facilities by certain youth groups; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-12, which is reserved, as follows:

"20-2-12.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'patriotic society' means a youth group listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, including the Boy Scouts of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils.

(b) To encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by a patriotic society for the purposes of encouraging civic education, each local school system that uses state funds to implement programs pursuant to this chapter shall not prohibit the use of such local school system's facilities by a patriotic society. When a local school system denies a patriotic society access to a facility of such system, the principal of the school where such facility is located shall provide in writing reasons for the denial to a requesting entity. Reserved."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.