HB 1450 - "Home Education Week"; declare first week in February

First Reader Summary

A BILL to amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, so as to declare the first week in February of each year as "Home Education Week" in Georgia; and for other purposes.

Page Numbers - 1/ 2

Code Sections - 1-4-13

HB 1450                                            LC 24 1005 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, so 
  1- 3  as to declare the first week in February of each year as 
  1- 4  "Home Education Week" in Georgia; to provide for related 
  1- 5  matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1- 6  WHEREAS, the State of Georgia is committed to excellence in 
  1- 7  education; and 
 
  1- 8  WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes the importance of 
  1- 9  family participation and parental choice in that pursuit of 
  1-10  excellence; and 
 
  1-11  WHEREAS, teaching children at home was the predominant form 
  1-12  of education during most of America's early years; and 
 
  1-13  WHEREAS, most children in the first two centuries of 
  1-14  America's history received their pre-college training at 
  1-15  home, and our young country enjoyed an extremely high 
  1-16  literacy rate on its way to becoming the most educated on 
  1-17  earth; and 
 
  1-18  WHEREAS, many notable Americans were the product of home 
  1-19  education, including George and Martha Washington, Benjamin 
  1-20  Franklin, Abigail and John Quincy Adams, Thomas Edison, 
  1-21  Helen Keller, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Douglas 
  1-22  MacArthur, Pearl S. Buck, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Patrick 
  1-23  Henry, John Marshall, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, 
  1-24  and Woodrow Wilson; and 
 
  1-25  WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes the critical 
  1-26  importance of the fundamental right of parents to direct the 
  1-27  upbringing and type of education for their children; and 
 
  1-28  WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes in its Official 
  1-29  Code home education as a legitimate and viable educational 
  1-30  alternative; and 
 
  1-31  WHEREAS, home education parents, like all parents, have the 
  1-32  final authority over and responsibility for the care and 
 
 
 
 
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  2- 1  upbringing of their children as affirmed by the Supreme 
  2- 2  Court of the United States; and 
 
  2- 3  WHEREAS, studies confirm that children who are educated at 
  2- 4  home exhibit self-confidence and good citizenship and are 
  2- 5  fully prepared academically to meet the challenges of 
  2- 6  today's society; and 
 
  2- 7  WHEREAS, Georgia home educators and home instructed students 
  2- 8  should be recognized and celebrated for their efforts to 
  2- 9  improve the quality of education. 
 
  2-10  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 
  2-11  GEORGIA: 
 
  2-12                           SECTION 1. 
 
  2-13  Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  2-14  Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, is amended 
  2-15  by adding at the end thereof a new Code Section 1-4-13 to 
  2-16  read as follows: 
 
  2-17    "1-4-13. 
 
  2-18    The first week in February of each year is declared to be 
  2-19    'Home Education Week' in Georgia." 
 
  2-20                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2-21  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  2-22  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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