Legislative Day 29: Post-Crossover Day Edition

The following pieces of education legislation survived 
Crossover Day:

(Click any number below to read the entire bill.)
HB 198: Flu Vaccine. Passed House; moves on to Senate.  Requires local districts to provide info re the influenza vaccine.

HB 237:  Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation. Tabled in Senate Finance subcommittee last week, up for discussion again this week. 

HB 273: Recess Passed House 147 to 17. . Requiring each local board to schedule a daily recess for students in grades K-5 of at least 30 minutes of supervised, unstructured activity time, preferably outdoors beginning with the 2017-18 school year.  Local boards shall also establish policies to ensure recess is a safe experience, provides a break in academic learning, and that recess is not used as a punishment. 

HB 280: Campus Carry. Passed House 108 to 63. Would allow permit-holding Georgians, age 21 and up, to carry weapons on college campuses.  The bill exempts  athletic facilities and student housing.  This year's version adds an exemption for preschool space but "shall not apply if (the campus) has more than one building on the campus housing preschool space."

HB 338: Plan B Passed the House on Wednesday, 138 to 37. While there’s no dedicated funding in the bill, there is other legislation that establishes a grant funding stream that could be used in targeted schools. 

HB 425: Student Assessments with pen and paper/opt out of electronic. Passed 151 to 18. 

HB 458: Put Speed Cameras in School Zones. Passed 142 to 29

SB 3Creating Opportunities Needed Now to Expand Credentialed Training (CONNECT) Act
Passed Senate, In House Education Committee.  To provide for industry credentialing for students who complete certain focused programs of study.


SB 16: Low THC Oil 
Changes the definition of "low" to 3% instead of 5%. Relating to the regulation of low THC oil and the establishment of the Low THC Oil Patient Registry, add autism to the list of disorders it can be used to treat. 

SB 29: Require testing for lead contamination in child care learning centers 
Passed 50 to 1. 

SB 30Sustainable Community School Operational Grants
SB 30 is a community-driven plan for underachieving schools based on research from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Passed 50 to 1. 

SB 139, on creating a leadership pathway, also authorizes school districts, charter schools, and career academies to develop and submit additional pathways to the State Board. Passed 52 to 1. 

SB 149: GA Peace Officers. Standards and code of conduct for school peace officers. Passed 50 to 1. 

SB 152: Alternative Education No More Than Two Semesters. Passed Senate 52 to 0.  

SB 211: Research-based assessments. Passed 50 to 0. 

SR 192: Constitutional amendment to allow local legislation to call for a referendum to change the local governance structure to an elected school superintendent and a local board appointed by a grand jury. Passed 40-12.

On February 22, 2017 --
Kelly Henson, Executive Secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission spoke at Pioneer RESA Day with GAPSC
Click here to read her full remarks. 

Topics include the Teacher Shortage, ESSA, UnSATs reporting, and Professional Learning Reform. 
For legislative highlights and review, watch  Lawmakerswhich airs at 
7 PM on GPB
every day the General Assembly is in session. 
You can also watch a live stream of each legislative day's proceedings on the General Assembly website. Go to www.legis.state.ga.us and click the Live Broadcast link on the left. 
Georgia Library Media Association
www.glma-inc.org