Bill Commons

GA SB 556

enacted

HOPE Scholarship; the inclusion of advanced placement and international baccalaureate fine arts courses in the calculation of grade point averages; provide

Georgia · 2025_26 · upper

Quick answers

Did GA SB 556 pass?

Yes. GA SB 556 has been enacted into law as of 2026-07-01. Latest recorded action (2026-07-01): Effective Date

What is GA SB 556 about?

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-157 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to uniform reporting system for certain purposes, dual credit courses, and academic eligibility requirements to receive HOPE scholarship, so as to provide for the inclusion of advanced placement and international baccalaureate fine arts courses in the calculation of grade point averages for determining student eligibility for the HOPE scholarships and other scholarships; to provide for applicability; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Who sponsors GA SB 556?

Chuck Payne, Shawn Still, Rick Williams and 2 others are the primary sponsors of GA SB 556.

Description

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-157 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to uniform reporting system for certain purposes, dual credit courses, and academic eligibility requirements to receive HOPE scholarship, so as to provide for the inclusion of advanced placement and international baccalaureate fine arts courses in the calculation of grade point averages for determining student eligibility for the HOPE scholarships and other scholarships; to provide for applicability; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Introduced
2026-02-24
Latest action
2026-07-01 — Effective Date
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Chuck Payneprimary
  • Shawn Stillprimary
  • Rick Williamsprimary
  • Freddie Powell Simsprimary
  • Billy Hickmanprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-02-24

    Senate Hopper

    introduction

  2. 2026-02-25

    Senate Read and Referred

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-03-03

    Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    committee-passage-favorable

  4. 2026-03-04

    Senate Read Second Time

    reading-2

  5. 2026-03-06

    Senate Tabled

  6. 2026-03-06

    Senate Taken from Table

  7. 2026-03-06

    Senate Third Read

    reading-3

  8. 2026-03-06

    Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    passage

  9. 2026-03-09

    House First Readers

    reading-1

  10. 2026-03-10

    House Second Readers

    reading-2

  11. 2026-03-27

    House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    committee-passage-favorable

  12. 2026-04-02

    House Third Readers

    reading-3

  13. 2026-04-02

    House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    passage

  14. 2026-04-02

    Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub

  15. 2026-04-10

    Senate Sent to Governor

    executive-receipt

  16. 2026-05-11

    Senate Date Signed by Governor

    executive-signature

  17. 2026-05-11

    Act 468

    executive-signature

  18. 2026-07-01

    Effective Date

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Senate Vote #669 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2026-03-06 · pass · 50-0

    Member-level votes (53)
    • ALBERS: yes
    • ANAVITARTE: yes
    • ANDERSON: yes
    • BEARDEN: yes
    • BRASS: yes
    • BURNS: yes
    • COWSERT: yes
    • DAVENPORT: yes
    • DICKERSON: yes
    • DIXON: yes
    • DOLEZAL: yes
    • ECHOLS: yes
    • GINN: yes
    • GOOCH: other
    • GOODMAN: yes
    • HALPERN: other
    • HARBIN: yes
    • HARBISON: yes
    • HARRELL: yes
    • HATCHETT: other
    • HICKMAN: yes
    • HODGES: yes
    • HOWARD: yes
    • HUFSTETLER: yes
    • JACKSON: yes
    • JAMES: yes
    • JONES: yes
    • JONES II: other
    • KEMP: yes
    • KIRKPATRICK: yes
    • LUCAS: yes
    • MALLOW: yes
    • MANGHAM: yes
    • MCLAURIN: yes
    • MCNEEL: yes
    • MERRITT: yes
    • ORROCK: yes
    • PARENT: yes
    • PARKES: yes
    • PAYNE: yes
    • RAHMAN: yes
    • RHETT: yes
    • ROBERTSON: yes
    • SETZLER: yes
    • SIMS: yes
    • STILL: yes
    • STRICKLAND: yes
    • SUMMERS: yes
    • TILLERY: yes
    • WALKER, III: yes
    • WATSON: yes
    • WICKS: yes
    • WILLIAMS: yes

  • Senate Vote #958 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2026-04-02 · fail · 25-25

    Member-level votes (52)
    • ALBERS: no
    • ANAVITARTE: yes
    • ANDERSON: other
    • BEARDEN: yes
    • BRASS: yes
    • BURNS: yes
    • COWSERT: yes
    • DAVENPORT: no
    • DICKERSON: yes
    • DIXON: yes
    • DOLEZAL: yes
    • ECHOLS: other
    • GINN: yes
    • GOOCH: yes
    • GOODMAN: yes
    • HALPERN: no
    • HARBIN: yes
    • HARBISON: no
    • HARRELL: no
    • HATCHETT: yes
    • HICKMAN: yes
    • HODGES: no
    • HOWARD: no
    • HUFSTETLER: yes
    • JACKSON: no
    • JAMES: no
    • JONES: no
    • JONES II: no
    • KEMP: no
    • KIRKPATRICK: yes
    • LUCAS: no
    • MALLOW: no
    • MANGHAM: no
    • MCLAURIN: no
    • MCNEEL: yes
    • MERRITT: no
    • ORROCK: other
    • PARENT: no
    • PAYNE: yes
    • RAHMAN: no
    • RHETT: no
    • ROBERTSON: no
    • SETZLER: yes
    • SIMS: other
    • STILL: yes
    • STRICKLAND: yes
    • SUMMERS: no
    • TILLERY: yes
    • WALKER, III: yes
    • WATSON: no
    • WICKS: no
    • WILLIAMS: yes

  • House Vote #842 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2026-04-02 · pass · 167-2

    Member-level votes (161)
    • ADESANYA: yes
    • ADEYINA: yes
    • ALEXANDER: yes
    • ALI: yes
    • ANDERSON: yes
    • AU: yes
    • BAKER: yes
    • BALLARD: yes
    • BARNES: yes
    • BARRETT: yes
    • BARTON: yes
    • BAZEMORE: yes
    • BECKLES: yes
    • BELL: yes
    • BERRY: yes
    • BLACKMON: yes
    • BONNER: yes
    • BUCKNER: yes
    • BURCHETT: yes
    • BURNOUGH: yes
    • BURNS: other
    • BYRD: no
    • CAMERON: yes
    • CAMP: yes
    • CAMPBELL: yes
    • CANNON: yes
    • CARPENTER: yes
    • CARSON: yes
    • CARTER: yes
    • CHASTAIN: yes
    • CHEOKAS: yes
    • CLARK: yes
    • CLIFTON: yes
    • COOPER: yes
    • CORBETT: yes
    • COX: other
    • CRAWFORD: yes
    • CROWE: yes
    • CUMMINGS: yes
    • DAVIS: yes
    • DAWSON: yes
    • DELOACH: yes
    • DEMPSEY: yes
    • DICKEY: yes
    • DONATUCCI: yes
    • DOUGLAS: yes
    • DRAPER: yes
    • DRENNER: yes
    • DUBNIK: yes
    • DUNAHOO: yes
    • EFSTRATION: yes
    • EHRHART: yes
    • ERWIN: yes
    • EVANS: yes
    • FINCHER: yes
    • FLEMING: yes
    • FLOURNOY: yes
    • FORD: yes
    • FRANKLIN: yes
    • FRYE: yes
    • GAINES: yes
    • GAMBILL: yes
    • GILLIARD: yes
    • GISLER: yes
    • GLAIZE: yes
    • GREENE: yes
    • GRIFFIN: yes
    • GULLETT: yes
    • GUNTER: yes
    • HAGAN: yes
    • HATCHETT: other
    • HAWKINS: yes
    • HERRING: yes
    • HILTON: yes
    • HITCHENS: yes
    • HOLCOMB: yes
    • HOLLAND: yes
    • HOLLY: yes
    • HONG: yes
    • HORNER: yes
    • HOWARD: yes
    • HUDDLESTON: yes
    • HUGLEY: yes
    • JACKSON: other
    • JASPERSE: yes
    • JENKINS: yes
    • JONES: yes
    • KAHAIAN: no
    • KELLEY: other
    • KENDRICK: yes
    • LAHOOD: yes
    • LEVERETT: yes
    • LEWIS-WARD: yes
    • LIM: yes
    • LUMSDEN: yes
    • LUPTON: yes
    • MARTIN: yes
    • MARTINEZ: yes
    • MATHIAK: yes
    • MATHIS: yes
    • MCCLAIN: yes
    • MCCOLLUM: yes
    • MCDONALD III: yes
    • MCQUEEN: yes
    • MEEKS: yes
    • MILLER: yes
    • MITCHELL: yes
    • MOMTAHAN: other
    • MOORE: yes
    • MYLES: yes
    • NEAL: yes
    • NEW: yes
    • NEWTON: yes
    • OKOYE: yes
    • OLALEYE: yes
    • OLIVER: yes
    • O'STEEN: yes
    • PANITCH: yes
    • PARIS: yes
    • PARK: yes
    • PARRISH: yes
    • PARSONS: yes
    • PERSINGER: yes
    • PETREA: yes
    • POWELL: yes
    • PRINCE: yes
    • REESE: yes
    • REEVES: yes
    • RHODES: yes
    • RICE: yes
    • RICHARDSON: yes
    • RIDLEY: yes
    • ROBERTS: yes
    • ROMMAN: yes
    • SAINZ: yes
    • SAMPSON: yes
    • SANCHEZ: yes
    • SANTOS: yes
    • SCHOFIELD: yes
    • SCOGGINS: yes
    • SCOTT: yes
    • SEABAUGH: yes
    • SILCOX: yes
    • SMITH: yes
    • STEPHENS: yes
    • STINSON: yes
    • TARVIN: yes
    • TAYLOR: yes
    • THOMAS: yes
    • TOWNSEND: yes
    • TRAN: yes
    • WADE: yes
    • WASHBURN: yes
    • WERKHEISER: yes
    • WESTBROOK: yes
    • WILKERSON: yes
    • WILLIAMS: yes
    • WILLIAMS, JR.: yes
    • WILLIAMSON: yes
    • WILLIS: yes
    • YEARTA: yes

  • Senate Vote #959 - 2025-2026 Regular Session

    2026-04-02 · pass · 36-17

    Member-level votes (52)
    • ALBERS: no
    • ANAVITARTE: no
    • ANDERSON: no
    • BEARDEN: yes
    • BRASS: yes
    • BURNS: yes
    • COWSERT: no
    • DAVENPORT: yes
    • DICKERSON: no
    • DIXON: no
    • DOLEZAL: no
    • ECHOLS: yes
    • GINN: yes
    • GOOCH: yes
    • GOODMAN: yes
    • HALPERN: yes
    • HARBIN: no
    • HARBISON: yes
    • HARRELL: yes
    • HATCHETT: yes
    • HICKMAN: no
    • HODGES: no
    • HOWARD: yes
    • HUFSTETLER: yes
    • JACKSON: yes
    • JAMES: yes
    • JONES: yes
    • JONES II: yes
    • KEMP: yes
    • KIRKPATRICK: yes
    • LUCAS: no
    • MALLOW: yes
    • MANGHAM: yes
    • MCLAURIN: yes
    • MCNEEL: no
    • MERRITT: yes
    • ORROCK: yes
    • PARENT: yes
    • PAYNE: yes
    • RAHMAN: yes
    • RHETT: yes
    • ROBERTSON: no
    • SETZLER: yes
    • SIMS: other
    • STILL: yes
    • STRICKLAND: yes
    • SUMMERS: yes
    • TILLERY: no
    • WALKER, III: no
    • WATSON: no
    • WICKS: yes
    • WILLIAMS: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73535

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:19:40.450420Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changesStatus and relationship changes

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Known limitations

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  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.

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