SB 120: Education; public schools, local education agencies, and public postsecondary institutions shall not promote, support, or maintain any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion

Georgia law currently does not address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in schools or public colleges directly. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's education code banning local school districts and public postsecondary institutions (University System of Georgia schools and Technical College System schools) from promoting, supporting, or maintaining any program or activity that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill defines DEI broadly, covering efforts tied to race, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, including training, hiring, or programming that treats groups differently, and for colleges specifically, taking an official position on concepts like implicit bias, systemic oppression, or gender ideology. Colleges that violate the ban could lose state funding, state-administered federal funding, and student scholarship, loan, and grant money. The State Board of Education could withhold funding from violating school districts. The law would take effect July 1, 2025, starting with the 2025-2026 school year and academic year.

• Bans local school districts and public postsecondary institutions from promoting, supporting, or maintaining programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Defines diversity, equity, and inclusion broadly to include differential treatment based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
• Adds a special rule for colleges and universities barring them from taking an official position on concepts like implicit bias, systemic oppression, or gender ideology.
• Allows the state to withhold funding, including scholarships, loans, and grants, from postsecondary institutions found in violation.
• Allows the State Board of Education to withhold a portion of state funding from school districts that violate the ban.
• Blocks schools from using existing waiver programs, such as charter system or strategic waivers school system status, to get around this new rule.

Public school districts and their students and staff, the State Board of Education, and Georgia's public colleges and universities, including University System of Georgia institutions and Technical College System schools, along with students who receive state-funded scholarships, loans, or grants at those schools.

Schools and colleges would have to eliminate or avoid DEI-related training, programming, hiring practices, and official statements on topics like systemic bias or gender identity, or risk losing state and state-administered federal funding, including money that flows to student financial aid.

• Section 1 creates new Code Section 20-1-12, defining 'local education agency' and 'postsecondary institution' by reference to existing Georgia code sections.
• Subsection (b) bans local education agencies and postsecondary institutions from promoting, supporting, or maintaining DEI programs, with a five-part definition of what counts as DEI.
• Subsection (c) authorizes withholding state funding and state-administered federal funding, including scholarships, loans, and grants, from postsecondary institutions that violate the ban.
• Subsection (d) authorizes the State Board of Education to withhold part of a local education agency's state funding under existing Code Section 20-2-243 for violations.
• Subsection (e) states the new rule cannot be waived under several existing waiver programs, including strategic waivers, charter systems, charter schools, and completion special schools.
• Subsection (f) clarifies the bill does not require noncompliance with existing state or federal antidiscrimination laws.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying to the 2025-2026 school year and academic year.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senado)
2. 2026-01-12Senate Taken from Table (Senado)
3. 2025-03-06Senate Tabled (Senado)
4. 2025-03-04Senate Read Second Time (Senado)
5. 2025-03-03Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senado)
6. 2025-02-10Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
7. 2025-02-06Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)Patrocinador principal
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)

• diversity equity and inclusion
• public schools
• higher education funding
• education policy
• school funding