06 LC 33
1551S
The
Senate Education and Youth Committee offered the following substitute to HB
1239:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary
and secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide
for a minimum course of study in criminal law in Georgia established by the
State Board of Education; to provide legislative findings; to provide for rules
and regulations; to provide for a time frame for implementation; to provide for
an election by a parent or guardian not to participate; to provide for immunity;
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary and
secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by adding
at the end thereof a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-148.
(a)
The General Assembly finds that our youth are the future of our state and that
it is in the best interests of the youth and of society as a whole to
discourage, to the greatest extent possible, criminal behavior of youth. The
General Assembly further finds that it would be beneficial to educate the youth
of this state on the repercussions of engaging in behavior that can be deemed
criminal and the devastating impact it can have on the life of the individual,
on the
individuaĺs
family, and on society as a whole.
(b)
The State Board of Education shall prescribe a minimum course of study which
shall include the criminal code in Georgia as it affects minors with an emphasis
on sexual offenses, crimes for which a minor can be tried as an adult, crimes
included in paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of Code Section 15-11-28, and
potential criminal penalties for committing crimes. The State Board of
Education shall ensure that any minimum course of study shall be age appropriate
for each prescribed grade.
(c)
The State Board of Education shall be authorized to promulgate rules and
regulations to implement the requirements of this Code section.
(d)
The minimum course of study to be prescribed by the State Board of Education
pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section shall be ready for
implementation not later than July 1, 2007.
(e)
Any parent or legal guardian of a child to whom the course of study set forth in
this Code section is to be taught shall have the right to elect, in writing,
that such child not receive such course of study.
(f)
No teacher, administrator, or local board of education member shall be held
civilly or criminally liable for instruction provided pursuant to this Code
section if such instruction is provided in accordance with this Code section and
with State Board of Education and local board of education
guidelines."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.