HB 335: Quality Basic Education Act; address mental health risks for student athletes

Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act currently has no specific requirement to educate student athletes, families, and coaches about mental health risks tied to sports participation. This bill would add a new Code section requiring athletic associations, working with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, to post guidelines and educational materials online about mental health risks and available resources for student athletes in grades six through 12. Schools would have to give parents or guardians this information at least once a year. Coaches would have to review the approved guidelines and materials once a year and could not coach until they complete that review. The bill also limits liability for schools, athletic associations, and their staff or volunteers related to decisions about removing or not removing a student athlete over mental health concerns, except for healthcare providers acting outside a volunteer role. Youth athletic activity sponsors are encouraged, but not required, to adopt the same practices.

• Requires athletic associations to develop and post online guidelines and materials educating student athletes, parents, staff, and coaches about mental health risks and resources.
• Requires public and participating private schools with grades six through 12 to inform parents or guardians about student athlete mental health risks at least once per school year.
• Requires coaches to review approved mental health guidelines and materials once each school year before being eligible to coach.
• Shields schools, athletic associations, and their staff or volunteers from liability over decisions to remove or not remove a student athlete for mental health reasons, with an exception for healthcare providers not acting as volunteers.
• Encourages, but does not require, sponsors of youth athletic activities to adopt the same mental health guidelines.

Public school and participating private school student athletes in grades six through 12, their parents or guardians, coaches, school personnel, athletic associations, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and sponsors of youth athletic activities.

Coaches and families would get yearly, structured information on mental health warning signs and resources for young athletes, and coaches could not coach without completing the review. Schools and coaches would also gain legal protection when making judgment calls about a student athlete's mental health status.

• Adds new Code Section 20-2-324.8 to the Quality Basic Education Act, defining terms like 'athletic association,' 'healthcare provider,' 'interscholastic athletic activity,' and 'student athlete.'
• Subsection (b) requires athletic associations to work with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to post mental health guidelines and materials, allowing use of free existing educational videos.
• Subsection (c) requires schools to notify parents or guardians about mental health risks and resources at least once a year.
• Subsection (d) requires coaches to review approved materials annually and bars coaching until the review is complete.
• Subsection (e) limits liability for schools, athletic associations, and their staff or volunteers regarding removal decisions tied to mental health risk, excluding non-volunteer healthcare providers.
• Subsection (f) encourages youth athletic activity sponsors, as defined elsewhere in law, to adopt these same provisions voluntarily.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-02-28House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-11House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-02-10House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-02-06House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)Patrocinador principal
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
• Inga Willis (D, HD-055)
• Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-078)

• student athlete mental health
• school sports
• youth athletics
• education law
• coach training