Merit Institute Merit

The Georgia Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (GA-MEWRA)

Georgia state companion to MEWRA. Builds on the Georgia Promise Scholarship (SB 233, 2024; O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2A), Georgia charter framework (O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2 Art. 31), and TCSG outcome mechanisms.

THE GEORGIA MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (GA-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. Georgia General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Georgia Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (GA-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that Georgia enacted the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act under SB 233 (2024), codified at O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2A, providing a $6,500 scholarship per eligible student for use at participating schools; that Georgia’s charter-school framework operates under O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2 Art. 31 and the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia under O.C.G.A. Sec. 20-2-2081 et seq.; that the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia operates under O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 3; that the Technical College System of Georgia operates under O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 4; and that Georgia publishes school-performance data through the Office of Student Achievement. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH GEORGIA LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Georgia outcome-based school” means a provisional school authorized under Title II by the Georgia Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“GA-OBSA”).
  2. (b) “GPS” means the Georgia Promise Scholarship under O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2A.
  3. (c) “GDOL ITA” means a training account administered by the Georgia Department of Labor under O.C.G.A. Title 34.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Georgia Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2A (Georgia Promise Scholarship).
  • O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2 Art. 31 (charter schools).
  • O.C.G.A. Sec. 20-2-2081 et seq. (State Charter Schools Commission).
  • O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 3 (University System) and Ch. 4 (TCSG).
  • O.C.G.A. Title 34 (GDOL).

TITLE II — GEORGIA OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of GA-OBSA

  1. (a) The State Charter Schools Commission, in coordination with the State Board of Education, shall designate a Georgia Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“GA-OBSA”) under O.C.G.A. Sec. 20-2-2081 et seq.
  2. (b) GA-OBSA shall authorize provisional schools without requiring regional-accreditor accreditation.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under O.C.G.A. Title 20.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY

Sec. 301. Georgia Promise Scholarship Extension

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school is eligible as a participating school under O.C.G.A. Title 20 Ch. 2A.
  2. (b) The Georgia Student Finance Commission and State Board of Education shall treat Title II-authorized schools equivalently.

Sec. 302. GDOL Training Accounts

  1. (a) The Georgia Department of Labor shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of training-account disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the GA-OBSA Registry or Federal NLMF.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. Georgia Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) GA-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year earnings medians; licensure/GARMC/FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and GDOL wage records, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted under O.C.G.A. Title 50 Ch. 18 (Open Records) and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g (FERPA).

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) Suspension of GPS participating status; GA-OBSA Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other Georgia bills: GA-ACSA, GA-GT&P, GA-AI-Workforce.