Georgia House Bill HB451

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Report Pass: 2/27/25
• Engrossed: 3/6/25
• Refer: 3/10/25
• Report Pass: 3/27/25
• Report Pass: 3/20/26

Caption

Quality Basic Education Act; local boards shall be authorized to provide instruction in hunting safety in grades six through 12; provide

Summary

HB 451, the “Student Character Development Act,” requires each local education agency to adopt a policy by August 1, 2026 allowing students to be excused from school for at least one hour per week to attend a “released time course” in religious moral instruction offered by an outside individual or organization. The bill sets conditions for participation, including written parental consent, attendance records kept by the provider, transportation rules, a requirement that the provider assume full responsibility for the student during the activity, and a criminal records check for instructors or providers. Students participating in these courses may not be counted absent from school, and they remain responsible for any missed schoolwork. The bill also allows, but does not require, local education agencies to award academic credit for completion of a released time course. If credit is offered, the school system must evaluate the course using secular criteria only, such as instructional hours, syllabus, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications, and may not consider religious content or denominational affiliation. The Department of Education is directed to issue model policies and take steps to preserve state and federal funding for school systems regardless of student participation in released time courses.

Impact

HB 451 amends Georgia’s compulsory attendance laws in Title 20 to create a statewide framework for released time religious instruction during school hours. It imposes new duties on local education agencies to adopt policies, sets minimum participation standards, and authorizes school systems to provide academic credit under neutral, secular review criteria. It also adds liability protection for school officials regarding private transportation to and from the course and directs the Department of Education to develop model policies and procedures.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have generally favorable legislative support, as reflected by strong House passage and Senate adoption of the substitute, though not unanimously. The votes suggest broad backing for the concept of allowing released time religious instruction, but with a meaningful minority opposed. No committee transcript is available, so the recorded votes are the main indicator of sentiment.

Contention

The main points of contention likely center on the intersection of public education and religious instruction, including whether school time should be used for off-campus religious moral courses, how much responsibility schools should bear, and whether academic credit should be available for such courses. Additional concerns may involve transportation, liability, criminal background checks, and the requirement that credit decisions be based only on secular criteria to avoid constitutional issues. The divided Senate vote indicates some members remained concerned about these issues even after the substitute was adopted.