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This page will track only bills introduced in the 1998 session of the General Assembly. HEIR will attempt to identify all such bills that affect homeschoolers, directly or indirectly. If we fail to recognize any important bill, please contact us!

This page last updated on February 15.

HB 1280/1450 - "Home Education Week"; declare first week in February 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. last action 2/6/98: favorably reported; SPCA

HB 1556 - Educational scholarships; amend provisions A BILL to amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to amend numeric grade averages required for certain grants and scholarships for students graduating from high school in 2000 or thereafter; to provide criteria for eligibility and ineligibility for HOPE grants, HOPE scholarships, HOPE GED vouchers, HOPE teacher's scholarships, and PROMISE teacher's scholarships; and for other
purposes. last action 2/12/98; favorably reported; USys.
HEIR note: this bill specifies in law the recent intent of the Governor to make HOPE available retroactively to homeschoolers and graduates of other nonaccredited programs who maintain a 3.0 grade point average during their freshman year.

HB 1561 - Students; certain withdrawal from school; waiver of certain rights A BILL to amend Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance requirements for students, so as to require public school students who wish to withdraw from school between their sixteenth and nineteenth birthdays to receive counseling and waive certain privileges and rights to governmental assistance; and for other purposes.
HEIR note: this bill would require any student between 16 and 19 to sign away certain rights if they withdraw from the public school they are attending. The bill requires the student to sign a form containing the following language:
2- 9 I, _____________________, wish to withdraw from the
2-10 (Name of student)
2-11 school I am attending prior to graduation, with no
2-12 intention of promptly enrolling in another school
2-13 system. I have received the counseling required by
2-14 O.C.G.A. Section 20-2-704 and have considered all of the
2-15 negative effects of such a withdrawal on my future and
2-16 on the future of my family. I have considered the
2-17 greatly reduced income I am likely to have as a result
2-18 of this decision, together with the greater difficulty I
2-19 will have in obtaining meaningful employment. I have
2-20 also considered the fact that approximately 85 percent
2-21 of those in prison do not have a high school education
2-22 and that society owes me no special treatment as a
2-23 result of this decision.

2-24 After careful consideration, with full knowledge of the
2-25 likely results of my act of dropping out of school, I
2-26 hereby freely and voluntarily waive and surrender any
2-27 and all special privileges which may be accorded the
2-28 citizens of the State of Georgia until such time as I
2-29 reenter a program designed to lead to a high school
2-30 diploma or general educational development (GED)
2-31 equivalency diploma. I further waive the right to any
2-32 welfare benefits, Medicaid assistance, disability
2-33 payments, unemployment compensation, driving privileges,
2-34 and government assistance of any kind whatsoever until
2-35 such time as I have received a high school diploma or
2-36 general educational development (GED) equivalency
2-37 diploma or am enrolled in a full-time course to obtain
2-38 such a diploma.
The bill does not exempt students who are withdrawing to enroll in a home study program. Note the range of taxpayer rights being denied such a student. Last action 02/09/98 second reading

HB 1678 - Lottery grants for education; students earning A's A BILL to amend Article 1 of Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to the lottery for education, so as to provide for grants from lottery proceeds to certain students who earn all A's; and for other purposes. last action 02/17/98: second reading Education Committee
HEIR note: this bill would give $500 to public school children who earn all A's.

HB 1712 - High school honors program; participation by certain students A BILL to amend Code Section 20-2-306 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the honors program and residential high school program operated by the state Board of Education, so as to provide that students who live in Georgia but attend private high school outside of Georgia may participate in the honors program if they otherwise qualify; and for other purposes. last action 02/19/98 second reading
HEIR note: This bill makes honors programs avaialable to children of GA citizens who attend private school outside GA. The specific change to the code is underlined below:
1-17 "(a) The State Board of Education is authorized to
1-18 inaugurate an honors program for students in the public
1-19 and private high schools of this state and for students
1-20 who reside full time in this state but attend private
1-21 school outside of this state who have manifested
1-22 exceptional abilities or unique potentials or who have
1-23 made exceptional academic achievements. This program
1-24 shall be conducted during summer months between normal
1-25 school-year terms at institutions of higher learning or
1-26 other appropriate centers within this state with
1-27 facilities adequate to provide challenging opportunities
1-28 for advanced study and accomplishments by such students.

HB 1714 - Home schooled students; provide for special diploma A BILL to amend Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to compulsory attendance of school, so as to provide for special diplomas for home schooled students; and for other purposes. last action 2/19/98: second reading Ed Comm
HEIR note: this bill was introduced in 1998 as HB486

SB 412 - State Govt. - prohibit greater qualifications those home schooled A bill to amend Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to state government, so as to provide that no state agency shall require greater qualifications of persons who have completed a course of home study than it does for public or private school graduates. last action 1/13/98: first reading; Education Committee

SB 429 - Education - reading, mathematics score, grades 3,5,8 for promotion A bill to amend Code Section 20-2-281 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assessment of the effectiveness of educational programs, so as to require students in the third, fifth, and eighth grades to achieve a satisfactory score on reading and mathematics tests before promotion to the next grade level; to authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate certain regulations. last action 1/14/98: first reading; Education
HEIR note: this bill is interesting because it would require the Board of Education to define a "passing score" on nationally normed achievement tests. Interested readers might want to visit the FairTest web site to see an opinion on such uses of normed achievement tests.

SB 430 - HOPE Scholarships - attendance, discipline standards to qualify A bill to amend Code Section 20-2-157 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to a uniform reporting system for educational scholarships and other purposes, so as to require graduating seniors to meet attendance and discipline standards in order to qualify for a HOPE or HOPE Plus scholarship for their first year of postsecondary education; to authorize and direct the State Board of Education to establish such standards by rule. last action 1/14/98: first reading; Education Committee
HEIR note: In addition to mandating new Dept. of Education rules on attendance and discipline requirements for HOPE, this bill appears to define a new category of HOPE scholarships that would pay for room and board in addition to tuition and fees. The requirements are specified in terms of high school grade point, so this new category of HOPE scholarship would not be available to homeschoolers.

SB 535 - Educators - Professional Standards Commission, code of ethics A bill to amend Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to teachers and school personnel, by repealing in its entirety Part 1, relating to the Professional Practices Commission; to amend Part 10 of said article, the "Georgia Professional Standards Act," so as to add additional purposes; to add definitions; to authorize the Professional Standards Commission to remove any commissioner from office under certain circumstances. last action 2/20/98 second reading

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