ATLANTA – State Representative Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville), who serves as a Governor’s Floor Leader, yesterday joined Governor Brian Kemp as he signed House Bill 217, legislation to strengthen workforce development in Georgia by extending the Dual Achievement Program pilot and improving scholarship verification and school board election rules.
“Yesterday’s signing of HB 217 marks a significant step forward in strengthening Georgia’s workforce and expanding opportunities for our students,” said Rep. Hong. “I’m grateful to Governor Kemp and my legislative colleagues for prioritizing education and streamlining access to programs like the Dual Achievement Program and Promise Scholarship. With this legislation, we’re helping more students succeed, while laying the foundation for a stronger more competitive economy. Investing in education is investing in Georgia’s future.”
HB 217 is agency legislation from the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that restructures the Dual Achievement Program and extends its pilot for another five years. The bill also includes provisions from the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) to allow the use of Department of Revenue (DOR) data to verify income for Georgia Promise Scholarship applicants and clarifies the enrollment count date related to the school board elections nepotism clause.
The full text of HB 217 may be found here.
Representative Soo Hong represents the citizens of District 103, which includes portions of Gwinnett and Hall counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves as one of the Governor’s Floor Leaders and Vice Chair of the Reapportionment & Redistricting Committee, as well as Secretary of the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. She also serves on the Judiciary and Ways & Means committees.
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