Georgia schools may teach hunting safety and develop outdoor learning spaces

Local school boards may provide hunting-safety instruction for students in grades 6 through 12. The instruction may be added to an existing course, and local boards may create a curriculum based on Department of Natural Resources hunter-education courses. The State Board of Education must adopt content standards. A Department of Natural Resources-certified hunter-education instructor must teach the instruction. The authorization begins with the 2026-2027 school year; content standards are due by April 1, 2026.

The Department of Education may establish a pilot program to develop and study outdoor learning spaces at elementary and secondary schools. The department may select schools with existing or possible outdoor learning areas, and participating local boards must add the spaces to the existing curriculum. Private, nonprofit, and local school-system money may pay for community engagement, design support, and construction costs. Each participating local board must agree to continue the outdoor-learning program for at least three years. The department must evaluate the program and report its results to the listed legislative education committees. The pilot may begin in the 2025-2026 school year; evaluation and reporting occur after the pilot's third year.

Each public K-12 school must keep at least one working automated defibrillator on site and maintain an emergency-response program. The requirements apply to public schools in Georgia during school hours and school-related activities, including athletic events. Schools must train expected users, notify emergency medical services, maintain the device, run at least two emergency drills each school year, and maintain an internal response team of at least five staff members. The text requires involvement by a licensed physician or another person authorized by the Georgia Composite Medical Board. State funding for purchases is subject to General Assembly appropriations. Each school must have the device by July 1, 2025; drills begin in the 2025-2026 school year and continue each year.

School personnel may use accumulated sick leave for personal or professional reasons with prior approval, up to the maximum number of days stated in the text. The provision applies to school personnel during a school year and does not require them to disclose the specific reason for the absence. The absence must receive prior approval from the superintendent or an authorized representative. The absence cannot conflict with local policy identifying essential school days. Personnel may be asked to identify the absence as personal or professional. The allowance applies during any school year; the supplied text does not state a separate effective date.