ATLANTA – State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) recently filed House Bill 3, or the Support for Students Living in Poverty Act, to provide additional resources to certain students who may be living in poverty. House Bill 3 will be formally introduced and assigned to a House committee when the House reconvenes for Legislative Day 5 on Monday, January 23, 2023.
“A student’s financial status should never hinder his or her educational opportunities,” said Rep. Scott. “House Bill 3 would provide a pathway for schools to receive grant funding that would launch programs that directly serve our low-income students, such as wrap-around learning interventions, additional counselors for mental health care and even transportation for low-income students to participate in dual enrollment programs. It’s time for Georgia to join the majority of states across the country that currently provide this additional funding for low-income students.”
House Bill 3 would examine the program weights and funding requirements under the Quality Basic Education Act to issue grants that benefit students in poverty. Using funds appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly, the State Board of Education (BOE) would issue grant funding to local units of administration for programming geared towards these students in need. Under HB 3, students in poverty would include students whose family unit is enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, students who are experiencing homelessness, students in foster care or migrant students.
Rep. Scott first introduced the Support for Students Living in Poverty Act during the 2021-2022 legislative term.
For more information on House Bill 3, please click here.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as the Minority Caucus Chief Deputy Whip.
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