A batch of education bills cleared the Georgia General Assembly during the final days of the 2026 legislative session and now await Governor Brian Kemp's signature.
The most talked-about measure is a ban on cell phone use during instructional time in Georgia high schools. The legislation follows a growing national movement by states and school districts to limit student access to phones during the school day, driven by concerns about distraction, mental health, and academic performance.
Also headed to the governor's desk is a new need-based scholarship program designed to help Georgia students who fall outside the eligibility window for the HOPE Scholarship. The program would create an additional pathway to college affordability for families who currently earn too much to qualify for need-based aid but too little to comfortably afford tuition.
A third bill in the education package expands literacy requirements in Georgia's elementary schools, building on the state's existing push to ensure all students can read at grade level by third grade.
New research from the University of Georgia, reported by GPB, also found a connection between children's social media use and underdeveloped vocabulary, adding fuel to the broader conversation about screen time and youth development.
Kemp has not yet indicated which bills he plans to sign.
