SB 513 — "Every Day Counts Act"; enact

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 and Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the O.C.G.A., relating to elementary and secondary education and drivers' licenses, respectively, so as to revise requirements for public school policies and procedures relative to student attendance; to provide for multi-tier supports and interventions; to revise provisions relative to attendance review teams; to provide for attendance intervention plans; to provide for consequences for chronically unexcused students, such as ineligibility for interscholastic and extracurricular activities and potential ineligibility to be issued an instruction permit or driver's license by the Department of Driver Services; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Bill Text

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This bill amends 2 section(s) of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated: O.C.G.A. § 40-5-22; O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.3.

• O.C.G.A. § 40-5-22

  and → hapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and condary education, is amended in Part 15 of Article 6, relating to miscellaneous provisions nder the "Quality Basic Education Act," by revising subsection (f) of Code Section 0-2-320, relating to state-wide comprehensive educational information system and entification of data to implement Quality Basic Education Program, as follows: (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Education is authorized" to and shall obtain and provide to the Department of Driver Services, in a form to be agreed upon between the Department of Education and the Department of Driver Services, enrollment, expulsion, suspension, and noncompliance with attendance intervention plan information regarding minors 15 through 17 years of age reported pursuant to Code ections 20-2-690, 20-2-690.3, and 20-2-697, to be used solely for the purposes set forth subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22."

  amended

• O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.3

  (1) (2) (3) 'Local school system chronic absenteeism rate' means the number of students enrolled in a local school system who were chronically absent during the previous school year divided by the total number of students enrolled in such local school system during such school year. (4) , including, but not limited to, for attendance and for intervention such and their parents or guardians that Has a local school system chronic absenteeism rate of 10 percent or higher shall establish Has one or more schools shall establish an attendance review team for each such school the and their parents or guardians → d chapter is further amended in Subpart 2 of Part 1 of Article 16, relating to compulsory ndance, by revising Code Section 20-2-690.3, relating to chronically absent students and ndance review teams, as follows: 0-2-690.3. ) As used in this subpart, the term: (1) 'Attendance intervention plan' or 'plan' means a plan approved by an attendance review team for a chronically unexcused student. (2) (c) of (3) LC 49 2857S enrolled at the same school or within the same local school system during the current school year excepting such student's first day of enrollment. (4) 'Chronically unexcused student' means a student whose total number of unexcused absences: (A) Exceeds five during the first 50 days of the school year; or (B) After the 50th school day, is equal to or greater than 10 percent of the total number of school days that have occurred during the school year to date. (5) 'Extracurricular activities' means public school-sponsored activities in which students take part on a voluntary basis; which do not offer or provide school or course credits; which are generally conducted outside regular school hours or, if conducted in whole or in part during regular school hours, at times agreed to by the participants and approved by a school official; and which are managed and operated under the guidance of a teacher, other school employee, or other adult approved by a school official. Such term shall not include any activity designated by the local school system or public school as a cocurricular activity. (6) 'Interscholastic activities' means extracurricular activities, public school-sponsored athletic programs, and other public school-sponsored programs that are sanctioned or supported by a state-wide interscholastic activities governing body, including but not limited to an athletic association. (7) LC 49 2857S (b)(1) Each local school system shall establish policies and procedures to effectively and continuously identify and provide appropriate supports and incentives to all students, including, but not limited to, students who are chronically absent or at risk of becoming chronically absent. Such policies and procedures shall, at a minimum, provide for: (A) A multi-tier framework to provide appropriate supports and incentives to student attendance with: (i) Tier 1 providing for school-wide supports and strategies to promote good attendance for all students and their families; (ii) Tier 2 providing for targeted supports for students who are at risk of becoming chronically unexcused students and their families; and (iii) Tier 3 providing for individualized attendance intervention plans for chronically unexcused students; (B) Attendance review teams; (C) Attendance intervention plans for chronically unexcused students. Such plans shall be in writing and shall be developed by an attendance review team. The attendance review team shall seek input from the student and his or her parent or guardian before approving a plan. The student shall be required to sign a receipt acknowledging the plan, and a copy of the plan and such receipt shall be provided to the student and his or her parent or guardian; (D) Designating chronically unexcused students as ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities and interscholastic activities until such time as the student and his or her parent or guardian have met in person or virtually with the local school system attendance review team or the school attendance review team, if the school has an attendance review team, for the purpose of developing and entering into an attendance intervention plan or modifying an existing plan; 6 LC 49 2857S (E) Regularly updating student attendance records with current information regarding a student's compliance or noncompliance with an attendance intervention plan; and (F) Submitting a notice of noncompliance with an attendance intervention plan to the Department of Education for each chronically unexcused student who has failed to comply with a plan that wa

  amended

• O.C.G.A. § 40-5-22

  or → apter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to drivers' licenses, mended in Article 2, relating to issuance, expiration, and renewal of licenses, by revising section (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22, relating to issuance of instruction permit or driver's nse to person under 18 years of age and persons not to be licensed, as follows: (a.1)(1) The department shall not issue an instruction permit or driver's license to a" person who is younger than 18 years of age unless at the time such minor submits an application for an instruction permit or driver's license the applicant presents acceptable proof that he or she has received a high school diploma, a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, a special diploma, or a certificate of high school completion or has terminated his or her secondary education and is enrolled in a postsecondary school, is pursuing a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, or the records of the department indicate that said applicant: (A) Is enrolled in and not under expulsion from a public or private school; (B) Is not the subject of an attendance intervention plan provided for in Code Section 20-2-690.3, or, if he or she is the subject of such a plan, he or she is currently compliant with such plan; or (C) Is enrolled in a home education program that satisfies the reporting requirements of all state laws governing such program. The department shall notify such minor of his or her ineligibility for an instruction permit or driver's license at the time of such application. (2) The State Board of Education and the commissioner of driver services are authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection. Such rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner of driver services shall require LC 49 2857S the department to accept a notarized school enrollment certification form as proof that an applicant meets the requirements set forth in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection. Such school enrollment certification form shall be made available by the department on its website by July 1, 2027.

  amended

Action History

1. April 02, 2026

   House Withdrawn, Recommitted

2. April 02, 2026

   House Reconsidered

3. April 02, 2026

   House Third Reading Lost

4. April 02, 2026

   House Third Readers

5. March 25, 2026

   House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

6. March 04, 2026

   House Second Readers

7. March 03, 2026

   House First Readers

8. February 26, 2026

   Senate Passed/Adopted

9. February 26, 2026

   Senate Third Read

10. February 24, 2026

    Senate Read Second Time

11. February 20, 2026

    Senate Committee Favorably Reported

12. February 18, 2026

    Senate Read and Referred

13. February 17, 2026

    Senate Hopper

Sponsors

• Max Burns · Cosponsor
• Kay Kirkpatrick · Cosponsor
• Lee Anderson · Cosponsor
• Randy Robertson · Cosponsor
• Shawn Still · Cosponsor
• John Albers · Cosponsor
• Carden Summers · Cosponsor
• Frank Ginn · Cosponsor
• Chuck Hufstetler · Cosponsor
• Sam Watson · Cosponsor
• Timothy Bearden · Cosponsor
• Marty Harbin · Cosponsor
• Rick Williams · Cosponsor
• Freddie Powell Sims · Cosponsor
• RaShaun Kemp · Cosponsor
• Clint Dixon · Cosponsor
• Billy Hickman · Cosponsor
• Jason Anavitarte · Cosponsor
• III Larry Walker · Cosponsor
• Jason T. Dickerson · Primary

Votes

Subjects