HB 542: Protecting All Learners Act; enact

Georgia's promise scholarship program (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2B) lets eligible students use state funds to attend participating private schools. Currently those private schools are not required to follow the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the two main federal laws that guarantee services for students with disabilities in public schools. This bill, called the Protecting All Learners Act, adds a new Code section requiring any private school participating in the promise scholarship program to fully carry out each enrolled student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, comply as fully as possible with IDEA and Section 504, and adopt rules requiring parents to hand over a complete copy of their child's plan within ten days of enrollment. The law would take effect July 1, 2025.

• Requires private schools accepting promise scholarship funds to fully implement each enrolled student's most recent IEP or Section 504 plan.
• Requires those schools to comply to the fullest extent possible with the federal IDEA law and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Directs participating schools to adopt rules and policies requiring parents to submit a complete copy of their child's IEP or Section 504 plan within ten days of enrollment.
• Sets the new requirements to take effect July 1, 2025, if the bill becomes law.

Private schools that accept Georgia promise scholarship students, parents and students with disabilities enrolled in the promise scholarship program, and school administrators who would need to adopt new compliance rules and collect disability plan paperwork from families.

Families using promise scholarships to send children with disabilities to private schools would gain a legal guarantee that those schools follow the child's IEP or Section 504 plan, similar to protections already required in public schools, changing what services and accommodations participating private schools must provide.

• Section 1 gives the bill the short title 'Protecting All Learners Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 20-2B-23.1, requiring participating schools to fully implement each student's IEP or Section 504 plan.
• Section 2 also requires participating schools to comply to the fullest extent possible with the federal IDEA Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Section 2 requires participating schools to adopt rules, including requiring parents to submit a complete copy of the plan within ten days of enrollment.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-24House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-02-21House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-20House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Patrocinador principal
• Floyd Griffin (D, HD-149)
• Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)
• Ruwa Romman (D, HD-097)
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)

• school vouchers
• students with disabilities
• private schools
• special education
• IEP compliance