As Georgia enters into the third year of facing COVID-19, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has said he wants parents to decide if their children will wear face masks at school. However, approximately 45 school districts in Georgia have one or more schools that are still imposing mask mandates on students, and at least nine school districts have 10 or more schools still imposing the mask mandates. A bill that would allow parents to opt-out of these local school mask requirements for their children has begun working its way through the Georgia Senate.
Last week, Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Buford) introduced Senate Bill 514 as part of Governor Kemp’s legislative agenda. The “Unmask Georgia Students Act” provides that no local board of education, local school superintendent, school administrator, teacher, or other school personnel shall make or enforce any rule that requires a student to wear a face mask or face covering while present on school property unless such rule allows a parent or guardian to elect their child to be exempt from such rule.
SB 514 was read and referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Youth last week. The committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon, but no agenda has been released.
The bill would not prevent students from wearing masks but would give them the option to decide if they or their parents wish not to. The bill also doesn’t require parents to provide any reason for why their child will not be wearing a mask.
According to the current version of the bill, the proposed law would sunset on June 30, 2023.
“Parents know how best to care for their children, and that includes when it comes to masking,” Kemp said recently. “While some districts continue to ignore the science and force their students to remain masked throughout the school day, the ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act’ ensures parents have the final say. As we enter the third year of facing COVID-19, it is past time for a return to normal and for decisions regarding protection against the virus to be made by individual Georgians and their families – not the government.”
The legislation would apply to the local board of education, superintendent, or personnel of public and state charter schools. According to Dixon, the ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act’ would also prevent schools and educators from penalizing a student, academically or otherwise, as a result of the parent’s decision.
“The ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act’ reaffirms what has always been true — parents are the best decision makers when it comes to the health and education of their children. This legislation ensures that those rights are not infringed on by misguided policies,” said Dixon, who added that he was grateful to be working alongside the Governor to “fight for the wellbeing of students and to uphold the rights of their parents.”
Kemp has said that this bill will allow the state to “continue to move back to normal operations.”
The new bill would take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature.
