A number of bills relating to education are making their way through the Georgia General Assembly. While some have received a lot of attention, like the ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act,’ others are quietly moving through the House and Senate – including bills related to agricultural education and 4-H activities.
Agriculture plays a big role in Georgia’s economy. In fact, one in seven Georgians work in agriculture, forestry, or a related field and agriculture contributes approximately $73.3 billion annually to Georgia’s economy. So, it’s no surprise that Georgia lawmakers place a lot of emphasis on the industry.
Earlier this week, the House passed HB 1303 by Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella), which would make an agricultural education pilot program for elementary students permanent. The bill, which passed by a 162-0 vote, does not require schools to implement the program.
The pilot was established in the 2019-2020 school year. This bill now moves on to the Senate.
Along those same lines, the House approved HB 1292, sponsored by Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper). This bill would prohibit districts from counting students as absent when participating in school-sponsored 4-H programs.
The legislation specifically states that “A student who participates in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H shall be credited as present by the school in which enrolled in the same manner as an educational field trip, and such participation in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H shall not be counted as an absence, either excused or unexcused, for any day, portion of a day, or days missed from school.”
This bill also sailed through the House with a 162-0 vote and is headed for the Senate.
House Bill 1387 by Rep. J Collins (R-Villa Rica) was passed out of the House Motor Vehicles Committee Tuesday. The bill strengthens punishment for anyone who fails to pay fines within 30 days for passing a school bus in a school zone.
Currently, the penalty is “non-renewal” of the driver’s vehicle registration. However, under HB 1387, the penalty would be increased to suspension of vehicle registration. Once the fine is paid, vehicle owners will then pay a $60 fine to the Department of Revenue to reinstate their vehicle registration.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate passed the “Unmask Georgia Students Act,” sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Buford) on behalf of Gov. Brian Kemp. Senate Bill 514, which passed mainly along party lines, allows parents to opt-out of local school mask requirements. This bill was approved as a number of school systems across the state are lifting their mask restrictions and making the masks optional.
The bill initially stated that legislation would sunset on June 20, 2023. But it was amended on the Senate floor to extend its sunset to 2027.
On Wednesday, the Senate Education and Youth Committee passed two bills.
SB 452 by Sen. Sheila McNeil (R-Brunswick) was amended by the committee to allow 11th and 12th grade students to opt-in to taking a nationally recognized college entrance exam during school hours.
SB 357 by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) allows students of active-duty military or deployed reservist families to attend any public school of their family’s choosing in Georgia, regardless of the residence of the child. However, if the child enrolls outside the home district families would need to provide their own transportation.
Both bills now move on to the Senate Rules committee.
