Guest post legislative update from Georgia Rep. Bruce Williamson

It’s back-to-school season! I wish all teachers, parents, students, bus drivers, and support staff a fantastic school year. This marks the debut year of our statewide literacy initiative—the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026—which will assign a literacy coach to every elementary school across Georgia. Currently, only one-third of children read at grade level by the end of third grade. This program aims to ensure that every Georgia student develops a solid foundation in reading, paving the way for future success.


Another education law taking effect this year is the Distraction-Free Act, which makes our classrooms cellphone-free! Eliminating cell phone distractions will create a better learning environment for students and reduce the need for teachers to police cell phone use. The DREAM scholarship is also in effect. This is Georgia’s first needs-based college scholarship program, ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent a student from attending college.

House Blue Ribbon Study Committees

The House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on the Impact of Online Platforms on Georgia Youth held its first meeting at Georgia State and its second meeting at Mercer in Macon. The committee’s job is to study the safety and mental health concerns associated with minors’ use of social media platforms. Attorney General Chris Carr informed the committee about the office’s investigation into Roblox, an online gaming platform, to determine whether it is violating Georgia’s consumer protection law and putting Georgia’s children at risk. Earlier this year, the State Patrol rescued two Florida girls who went missing after communicating with a 19-year-old on Roblox. There are many other cases as well. Kimberly Sanderson, the Director of Child Advocacy for the Macon Judicial System, spoke about her experience of how easy it is to lure children into talking with strangers online. The conversations move quickly from children sharing pictures of themselves to meeting the stranger in person. If the child stops contact with the stranger, they are threatened with the release of pictures and/or other threats, or they promise gifts. 

The House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Community Health and Healthcare Oversight held its first meeting. The purpose of this study committee is to evaluate Georgia’s healthcare landscape to improve access, strengthen patient protections, and identify policy solutions. Presentations were given by the Georgia Dept. of Behavioral Health, Dept. of Community Health, Dept. of Public Health, Dept. of Human Services, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, and Georgia Composite Medical Board. 

The House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Education Performance Metrics and Workforce Stability has held 2 meetings. The committee’s purpose is to establish procedures and tests to determine the effectiveness of each school in each academic area. The committee is also interested in developing new approaches to recruiting and retaining teachers and school staff. The College Career Ready Performance Index is the performance matrix currently in Georgia law. This matrix score model, ranging from 0 to 100, consists of several components: content mastery, progress, closing gaps, readiness, and graduation rates. This study committee is evaluating each component of this school performance matrix, and at the conclusion of this study, the committee will determine whether any adjustments are needed.

Joint Election Equipment Specifications & Standards Committee has had its first meeting. The purpose of this committee is to help establish the specifications and standards that will guide Georgia in selecting its next uniform election system. This committee will not be selecting a vendor or writing a bid around a particular product or technology. The job of this committee is to determine what Georgia needs. They will be deciding what the next system will be able to do, how it will be secured, how voters can verify their choices, how election officials can administer it efficiently, how it can be audited and recounted, how it serves voters with disabilities, and what it will realistically cost to purchase, implement, and maintain. Decisions will be made based on function and performance rather than a particular manufacturer or technology. This process will be transparent.

Other NewsGeorgians can now sue cities that don’t enforce laws. House Bill 295 will now protect property owners when a local government decides not to enforce public safety laws or maintains a public nuisance that reduces property values or forces the homeowner to spend money to mitigate the damage.

This school year, new laws are in place regarding school zone speed cameras across Georgia. These laws require local governments to determine where the cameras can be located. The laws also require all school speed zone cameras to have warning lights, time limits, and no-ticket citations for drivers who are traveling less than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Starting in 2027, the new law states that local governments cannot enter into new camera contracts until voters approve. Overall, it’s best to pay attention and watch your speed as students return to school.