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Found 415 matching passages in 325 documents.
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 23, 2026
Senate floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed HB 1009, extending school-day phone restrictions to high school students, after rejecting an amendment allowing access between classes. Senators also passed measures on advanced math, forestry tax credits, local property-tax relief, bankruptcy protections, school financial oversight, public health employees and medical treatment rules. A substitute to HB 154 replaced its ambulance provisions with a proposal to seek year-round Atlantic Standard Time. A lengthy debate over district attorney pay ended with passage of HB 1020, followed by notice of a request to reconsider it. Senators left SB 350, concerning DeKalb County officials’ pay, available for later action after questions about conflicting pay provisions. They returned HB 79 to the Rules Committee, adopted a family-farm study resolution and agreed to the House changes to SB 427. The Senate adjourned until March 25.
Simple bill. This is one of many bills that came as a result of the amazing study committee that I co-chaired with the senator from the 40th on the effects of social media on kids. And the number one recommendation that came out of that committee was what cell phones do to our kids, what a distraction it is, how much it distracts them from focusing on...
And I said, "Sir, let me ask you this. What did you do as a young man? What was your, you know, your first real job in your 20s?" And he said, "I was a submariner." I said, "Okay, great. Let's talk about that." I said, "When you went to battle stations, were you guys focused on anything else? Were-- Did you guys have cell phones? Were you allowed to be...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House of Representatives · February 24, 2026
House floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The House focused on education, passing HB 1193 to expand early reading instruction and support, HB 372 to extend a retired-teacher return program, and HB 1123 to expand access to pre-K after-school care. Members also passed HB 1009 to restrict personal electronic devices in high schools and HB 1023 to require school weapons detection systems, after debate about costs, local control and school safety. Other measures passed would expand career academy access, provide grants to student teachers and allow unused HOPE scholarship eligibility toward graduate or professional study. The House heard bill readings and committee reports, adopted recognition resolutions, postponed two resolutions to the next legislative day and reassigned HB 1377 to Transportation. The House adjourned until February 25 at 10 a.m.
Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to House Bill 1009? 1-0-0-9. House Bill 1009 by Representative Hilton of the 48th and others to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 2, Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated rela- relating to elementary and secondary education so as to require local school systems and public schools to enact policies and...
Nationwide, 40 states now have a statewide cell phone policy, with more than half of those a best practice of bell-to-bell approach. Georgia's the only state out of all 40 that actually stop at K through 8. We do understand high school differs from K through 8, which is why we have exclusions for dual enrollment, work-based learning, and apprenticeships....
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Children and Families Committee · March 17, 2026
Senate Children and Families Committee, March 17, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee advanced three bills: HB 181, allowing certain internationally adoptive families to obtain a Georgia Certificate of Foreign Birth without another court process; HB 1118, adding three weeks of maternal birth leave for eligible state employees and teachers; and HB 1009, extending school-day restrictions on personal electronic devices to high school students. The committee unanimously approved a substitute for HB 181 and approved HB 1118 with no opposition heard. After testimony from a student, education groups, a policy organization and the state school superintendent, the committee unanimously approved HB 1009.
That's pretty good. Thank you, Madam Chair, for, for letting me address yet another bill. We've had a lot of good bills in here today, so we appreciate it. Um, I wanna just share a little bit more about the survey that Representative Hilton mentioned from Georgia Southern. We worked with Georgia Southern on that survey. Um, they, they were, they surveyed...
So again, thank you all for considering this bill. Thank you to Representative Hilton for carrying both Hou- House Bill 340 and House Bill 1099, and PAGE is in strong support of this legislation. Thank you. Thank you very much. Tripp Richardson. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. My name is Tripp Richardson with the Frontline Policy...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Education Committee · February 5, 2026
House Education Committee, February 5, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved five bills: HB 971 on cross-district access to college and career academies for homeschool and private school students; HB 383 on protections for student athletes' endorsement contracts; HB 1009 on restricting high school students' personal electronic devices during the school day; HB 1023 on weapons detection systems in public schools; and HB 907 on access to completion schools. Members adopted two amendments to HB 383 and approved substitutes for HB 1023 and HB 907. Discussion included school funding, financial protections for young athletes, device-policy enforcement, weapons detection costs and staffing, and instruction at completion schools. Opposition was heard on the voice vote for HB 1023. No numerical vote totals were announced.
And like I said, many high schools around our state, nearly half of them have already done some form of this. Um, thank you to the chairman and, and many others. You'll note on line 54 through 56, we do realize high school students, uh, have different responsibilities. We offer different opportunities for them. Uh, and so we made sure to exclude dual...
Uh, they've studied both schools that have it currently in place, and they also surveyed teachers, "Hey, what do, what do y'all wanna see?" Uh, and, and I thought the results were just amazing. Um, 80%... 87% of teachers, and this is a huge survey put on by Georgia Southern, said personal devices are a major source of distraction in their classrooms, 87% of...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee · February 10, 2026
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 10, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard a teacher recruitment and retention report prepared in response to SR 237, including recommendations on training, financial support, working conditions and school leadership. Members asked about transferring course credits, classroom phone restrictions, reducing teachers’ duties and recognizing prior teaching experience. No action was taken on the report. The committee also held a vote on SB 471, which would make permanent the parental opt-out requirement for school mask mandates, but the chair did not expressly announce the result. The committee unanimously approved a substitute for SB 369 establishing a dropout recovery charter school category and separate performance reporting.
... technical schools? ... plus two with nurses. That's already done. But the one that we're pressing for now is education. If, if a person, if they start with a TAP, the Teacher As a Professional, if they start in high school, they're gonna take several courses there. If it transfers up, maybe they go to a technical school, or maybe they go to a USG...
Mm-hmm. And so it's an issue. I can tell you, I have, I have twins. They've just graduated. They're in their first year of college. Their high school had already done it. Uh, now they didn't take it from them, but they had a process in place where they could not touch their phone, uh, during class time, and that helped a lot for them, I can tell you. Okay....
Code section · Georgia General Assembly · active
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-324.8. Use of personal electronic devices during school day by students
(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Access” means viewing, holding, wearing, or otherwise using a device for the purpose of communication, internet access, gaming, recording, listening to music, or any other function commonly associated with personal electronic devices. (2) “Bell-to-bell” means the period beginning with the first bell signaling...
(c) By January 1, 2026, each local school system and public school shall adopt policies and procedures that, at a minimum: (1) Prohibit bell-to-bell access to personal electronic devices by students in kindergarten through grade eight, subject to exceptions provided for by law; (2) Establish appropriate methods for storing students’ personal electronic...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Rules Committee · February 9, 2026
House Rules Committee, February 9, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard bill presentations on education, courts, financial regulation, property, public safety and other topics. The longest discussion concerned HB 934, with questions about the effect of transferring securities regulation on an ongoing investigation, staffing and agency workloads. Members also questioned school weapons-detection costs and possible local court costs from accepting juvenile cases involving military installations. The committee placed six bills on the February 9 floor calendar and four measures on the February 10 calendar, with no opposition voiced. The other measures presented were not placed on either calendar during this meeting.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. I referred to House Bill 1009, which is at the bottom of page two, House Bill 1009. As many of you in this room know, last year we went cell phone-free in our classrooms K through 8. Back by popular demand, we are now expanding that to include high schools. Thank you, Jim. Whip, have a question. Jim, uh,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Rules Committee · March 19, 2026
Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee heard brief requests to schedule bills on education, taxes, health care, veterans, licensing and other subjects. Members unanimously approved a 16-measure floor calendar. In separate committee business, members unanimously approved a prison education study committee resolution, a resolution honoring Bangladeshi peacekeepers, and a substitute for HB 445 that added public water and sewer systems to a public utility definition. Members questioned trout-stream buffer changes in HB 485. The chair postponed action on that bill until the next day so legislative counsel and the original sponsor could help explain the changes.
That's right. Uh, House Bill 1009, which is the bottom of your second page, House Bill 1009 extends the cellphone-free bill that we passed last year through K through eight to include high school. Um, passed both committees unanimously, and, uh, it's just been a big win for our schools, and we'd like to keep it going. A lot of happy parents and teachers....
Bill or resolution · Georgia House of Representatives · January 16, 2026 · Passed
Education; enact policies and procedures for use of personal electronic devices at school and school sponsored events by students in grades nine through twelve; require local school systems
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): Georgia House Bill 1009 would extend the state's ban on student personal electronic device use during the school day to grades nine through twelve, starting no later than July 1, 2027, expanding a rule already applying to kindergarten through eighth grade.
House Bill 1009 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Jones of the 47th, Donatucci of the 105th, Reeves of the 99th, Silcox of the 53rd, and others 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 require local school...
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 20-2-324.8, relating to use of personal electronic devices during school day by students, as follows: "20-2-324.8. (a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) 'Access' means viewing, holding,...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House of Representatives · January 16, 2026
House floor session, January 16, 2026 (legislative day 5)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The House read newly introduced bills and referred them to committees, completed second readings, and received a favorable committee report on HR 1008. Members honored a late Georgia Poultry Federation leader through HR 1013 and adopted a group of commemorative resolutions without objection. The House also agreed without objection to move HB 590, concerning trailer manufacturers, from the Regulated Industries Committee to the Motor Vehicles Committee. No vote on the substance of a policy bill appears in the transcript. Members announced upcoming budget hearings, and the House adjourned until January 26, 2026, at 10 a.m.
Thank you. Chairman Jaspers, recognized for an announcement. Thank you, members. After you go to your Appropriations meeting on Tuesday, Tuesday afternoon, the grocers and everyone involved in the food industry will be in the blue room. They'd love to see you, have refreshments, all that good stuff, but that's Kathy Cassava and Kevin Perry, who are friends...
Members, I'm going to remind you again, check your cell phones. Make sure you don't have an extra one by accident. If you do, it's, it's Representative Bazemore's, so please check, members. Second readies, reading of bills and resolutions, the clerk will read.
Bill or resolution · Georgia House of Representatives · February 6, 2025 · Passed
Distraction-Free Education Act; enact
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): Georgia House Bill 340 would require public schools to ban student use of personal electronic devices like phones and smartwatches from the first bell to the last bell for kindergarten through eighth grade, starting July 1, 2026.
SECTION 2. Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, is amended in Part 15 of Article 6, relating to miscellaneous provisions under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by adding a new Code section to read as follows: "20-2-324.8. (a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) 'Access'...
(c) By January 1, 2026, each local school system and public school shall adopt policies and procedures that, at a minimum: (1) Prohibit bell-to-bell access to personal electronic devices by students in kindergarten through grade eight, subject to exceptions provided for by law; (2) Establish appropriate methods for storing students' personal electronic...
Meeting transcript · Georgia Senate Rules Committee · March 20, 2026
Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved a substitute for HB 328 by a 7 to 5 vote after discussing removal of the scholarship tax credit program’s expiration date. Members then heard requests to schedule bills on education, taxes, courts, veterans, public safety and other subjects. The committee unanimously approved a 14-measure floor calendar, including HB 154, which a presenter said now seeks year-round Atlantic Standard Time, and HB 1009, concerning cellphone-free high school classrooms. After initially selecting HB 1077, members removed it from the calendar and unanimously returned it to the Rules Standing Committee for an unspecified correction. Members also unanimously returned HB 1129 to that committee.
Who's the- I was referring to the other Rules Chairman, but yeah. Oh. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. All right. Okay. Never mind. I'll stick to the North Georgia. There. There we go. Um, thank you. House Bill 1009, midpage, page three, going cellphone-free in our classrooms. That's it. That's it. That's simple. That's straight. Simple. This is- 1009 ... 9 through 12....
Code section · Georgia General Assembly · active
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.5. Student Code of conduct; safety rules on school buses; distribution
(a) Each student code of conduct shall contain provisions that address the following conduct of students during school hours, at school related functions, and on the school bus in a manner that is appropriate to the age of the student: (1) Verbal assault, including threatened violence, of teachers, administrators, and other school personnel; (2) Physical...
(b)(1) In addition to the requirements contained in subsection (a) of this Code section, each student code of conduct shall include comprehensive and specific provisions prescribing and governing student conduct and safety rules on all public school buses. The specific provisions shall include but not be limited to: (A) Students shall be prohibited from...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House Education Committee · March 19, 2026
House Education Committee, March 19, 2026
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The committee approved a substitute version of SB 369, a charter-school package that included changes concerning completion schools and extracurricular participation. The chair removed SB 431 from the agenda for further work. The committee also heard SB 513, which would address chronic absenteeism through attendance review teams and restrictions on activities and access to new driver's licenses or permits. Members questioned whether those restrictions could discourage attendance or create administrative problems. A Department of Driver Services witness raised concerns about delays and documentation requirements. The chair made that bill hearing-only, with no vote, and asked members to work with the sponsor on revisions for Monday's meeting.
Thank you, ma'am. Let me do this, if I can, and thank you very much- Welcome ... for that information, uh, from DDS. Let me offer this, members, in, in light of your concern. Um, well, let's continue this talk. What I'm gonna do for the senator is we'll make this hearing only today in hopes that we can make the changes that we need to make so this bill can...
And, uh, you know, we, we had a study committee last year as well. We came up with 14 or 15 different items, uh, on that study committee. These were the top three or four that we kind of pulled out that we felt like that made a lot of sense. And one of the things we wanted to make sure of is that we weren't, um, really kind of overseeing this from the state...
Meeting transcript · Georgia House of Representatives · April 2, 2026
House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 1)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The House debated school attendance restrictions, public health changes, tax relief, insurance coverage, school safety, care for children stranded in hospitals, and regulatory changes. Members initially rejected SB 513, then voted to reconsider it and returned it to the Rules Committee. The House passed SB 440 after debate focused on access to ivermectin without a prescription. Members approved amended Senate versions of property and income tax measures, prosthetic coverage legislation, an education package, a Medicaid and child placement measure, and regulatory legislation that also addressed disclosure of harassment settlements. Six local measures passed together, while HB 1534 returned to committee. The House recessed until 7:30.
Um, I also wanna say that in committee when there was testimony to this bill, two things came up that I thought were interesting. One is that several years ago and a whole bunch of you were here when this happened, we, this House took up, uh, justice, criminal justice reform. And you worked to uncouple license, uh, license restriction from other crimes. You...
This is not primarily a discipline problem. It is a barrier problem, and that matters because when you look at what the committee heard and you look at what this bill does, they do not line up. The testimony pointed towards support, early intervention, family engagement, keeping students connected to school. This bill moves completely in a different...
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 6, 2026
Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 1)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): On Crossover Day, the Senate read incoming legislation and committee reports, then voted on bills covering utilities, elections, public safety, education, licensing and insurance. The Senate passed SB 410, which the sponsor said would end new data-center tax exemptions and require utility contract protections. Members disputed whether those protections would keep costs off household bills. The Senate also passed measures addressing clergy sexual abuse, AI safety, animal cruelty records, human trafficking and prosecutor oversight. SR 838, a proposed constitutional amendment on citizenship and photo identification for voting, failed to receive the required two-thirds vote. SB 573, concerning nonpartisan elections in certain counties, failed, and the sponsor requested reconsideration. No reconsideration vote appears in this transcript. The session paused for dinner after passing SB 593.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of Senate Bill 540. Uh, it's, it's an important first step in taking action to keep our kids safe online. Um, this has been an important topic for me. Um, I co-chaired a study committee on this during the interim with the senator from the 48th, and I wrote the resolution for the study committee because i- it...
In fact, members of The Anxious Generation team were very helpful in providing testimony to our study committee. Just this week, the team of The Anxious Generation released something called a Childhood Index. It's a first of its kind ranking of all fifty states on how well tech laws and policies in each state support healthy, flourishing childhoods on and...
Meeting transcript · Georgia State Senate · March 19, 2026
Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34)
Summary by Georgia Commons (AI-written): The Senate passed measures on education, public safety license plates, manufactured-home taxes, delivery robots, veterinary care and funeral insurance payments. Senators also agreed 51-0 to changes to HB 1199, including a 60-day motor-fuel tax suspension, and ordered immediate transmission to the House. Two proposed constitutional amendments, HR 251 on nonpartisan probate judge elections and HR 1243 on a dedicated 911 fund, failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. Supporters gave notice they would seek reconsideration. Debate on both centered partly on minority-party requests for negotiation and compromise. The Senate moved HB 960 to Ethics and HB 1193 to Appropriations, heard bill readings and committee reports, and approved an unnamed local consent calendar 49-0. The session also included community recognitions before adjournment until the next morning.
House Bill 979 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd and others, State Government, procedures for retrocession of jurisdiction in certain circumstances, provide. House Bill 985 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd and others, Veterans Affairs, revise terms of eligibility for persons to be buried in Georgia veteran cem- cemeteries. House Bill 987 by...
Amendment · Georgia State Senate · September 25, 2026
Sen Floor Amend 1 AM 49 0318 to HB 1009
LOST Senator Kemp of the 38th offered the following amendment #1: Amend HB 1009 (LC 49 2527) by replacing lines 18 through 21 with the following: (2) 'Bell-to-bell' means the period beginning with the first bell signaling the start of instructional time and ending with the final bell signaling the conclusion of the school day and shall include all scheduled...
Code section · Georgia General Assembly · active
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.4. Bullying and cyberbullying
(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1)(A) “Bullying” means an act that is: (i) Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person, when accompanied by an apparent present ability to do so; (ii) Any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm; or (iii) Any intentional...
(b) No later than July 1, 2026: (1) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy that prohibits bullying, including, without limitation, cyberbullying, by a student and shall require such prohibition to be included in the student code of conduct for schools in that school system; (2) Each local board policy shall require that, upon a finding by the...
Amendment · Georgia State Senate · September 25, 2026
Sen Floor Amend 1 AM 49 0259 to HB 340
LOST Senators Islam Parkes of the 7th and Jones II of the 22nd offered the following amendment #1: Amend HB 340 (LC 49 2284S) by replacing lines 93 through 95 with the following: (g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed or applied to: (1) Prohibit or limit a local school system or public school from providing school equipment, including, but not...
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