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Bill to assign statewide Title VI coordinator for K–12 draws testimony and drafting questions; hearing continued
Summary
Rep. Silcox and Jeremy Berry (Georgia Solidarity Network) presented HB1363 to have a designated Title VI coordinator (using existing Title IX staff) oversee discrimination complaints in K–12 schools; members asked about overlap with federal law and multiple LC drafts, and the chair set the bill aside for the Wednesday hearing.
Chairman Silcox introduced House Bill 1363, carried by the Georgia Solidarity Network, which would assign responsibility for investigating discrimination and harassment complaints under Title VI (race, color, national origin) and other nondiscrimination laws to a statewide coordinator in the Department of Education, using existing Title IX infrastructure.
Jeremy Berry, representing the Georgia Solidarity Network, described recent antisemitic incidents — including an anonymous threatening note sent to a Cobb County sixth grader that prompted a federal Office for Civil Rights inquiry — and said many districts lack consistent systems to report and investigate discrimination. "A statewide Title VI coordinator is the solution to help protect the civil rights that are already afforded administrators, employees and students," Berry said.
Members asked about overlap with federal Title VI and other federal protections and whether the proposed coordinator's responsibilities would expand beyond current Title VI monitoring. Berry and the sponsor said the legislation restates applicable law and intends to centralize reporting and investigation at the Department of Education to improve uniformity and trend analysis across districts.
Late in the hearing staff and members discovered different LC drafts and numbering (references to LC650073 vs LC650065 in committee folders). The chair concluded there were drafting inconsistencies to fix and asked authors and staff to reconcile language before bringing witnesses back on Wednesday for full testimony.
What happens next: Authors and staff will reconcile the appropriate substitute (confirm LC number and content) and return the bill to the committee on Wednesday for continued testimony and possible action.
