The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

HB 971GEORGIASession 2025_26State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Georgia House Bill 971 authorizes home and private school student enrollment in regional college and career academies

Original title: Quality Basic Education Act; home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; provide

Last action · March 31, 2026: Senate TabledSponsors: Rick Townsend and 6 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Local school systems are authorized to enroll home study and private school students in eligible career and technical education courses at college and career academies located within their resident school system, same service area, or an adjacent local school system, effective July 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Expands educational access by permitting non-public students to take specialized career courses at public facilities, while prohibiting local boards from charging tuition and entitling them to earn state funding for those enrollments.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Home study students

Students in home study programs gain authorization to enroll in specific college and career academy courses and face applicable course fees and transportation responsibilities.

Directly affected

Private school students

Private school students are authorized to enroll in eligible college and career academy courses within specified geographic areas.

Directly affected

Local school systems

Local school systems are authorized to enroll non-public students, prohibited from charging them tuition, and eligible to earn FTE funds for participating students.

Key Facts

Local school systems are authorized to enroll home study and private school students in college and career academy courses located within the student's resident school system, same RESA service area, or an adjacent local school system, subject to space availability.
The State Board of Education must promulgate rules and regulations covering enrollment forms, timelines, academic and disciplinary reporting procedures, and other requirements.
Enrolled home study and private school students must meet all enrollment requirements, follow the school's code of conduct, and pay any applicable course fees that apply to public school students.
Participating home study and private school students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the college and career academy.

Show all 7 facts

Local boards of education shall earn FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) funds for each participating home study or private school student attending a charter college and career academy.
Local boards of education are prohibited from charging tuition to home study or private school students enrolling in these courses.
The Act becomes effective on July 1, 2026, and applies to all school years beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which students are eligible to enroll in college and career academy courses under this bill?

Home study students and private school students who meet state requirements may enroll in eligible courses if space is available.

Can local school systems charge tuition to home study or private school students taking these courses?

No, local boards of education are explicitly prohibited from charging tuition to home study or private school students enrolling in a course pursuant to this section.

Who is responsible for student transportation to the college and career academy?

Home study students and private school students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the facility.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Tabled in the Senate.

Procedural history

10 actions

Mar 31, 2026Senate
Senate Tabled
Mar 19, 2026Senate
Senate Read Second Time
Mar 18, 2026SenateCommittee
Senate Committee Favorably Reported
Feb 25, 2026SenateIntroduced
Senate Read and Referred
Feb 24, 2026House
House Third Readers
Feb 24, 2026HouseFloor
House Passed/Adopted

Show 4 earlier actions

Feb 6, 2026HouseCommittee
House Committee Favorably Reported
Jan 16, 2026House
House Second Readers
Jan 15, 2026HouseIntroduced
House First Readers
Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroduced
House Hopper

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

What This Bill Proposed

Who It Would Have Affected

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history

Voting Record

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

Share or embed this record