Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) celebrated the final passage of House Bill 1193, also known as the "monumental' Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026.
The bill takes a massive step towards addressing Georgia’s third-grade literacy rates, which have been a top priority for Speaker Burns this legislative session.
In a statement, Speaker Burns praised the Georgia House for taking a ‘historic’ and ‘decisive’ action, sharing high expectations for how the bill will benefit future generations.
“Today, the Georgia House took historic, decisive action to get Georgia’s children reading. The passage of the Early Literacy Act of 2026 marks the beginning of unprecedented change and a monumental step forward for every child who steps foot in a Georgia classroom,” said House Speaker Jon Burns.
He continued, “This is just the beginning of a success story that I believe will make a generational difference in the lives of children, families, and our entire state by ensuring every child has the chance to learn to read.”
House Bill 1193
The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 takes bold, affirmative steps to strengthen Georgia’s literacy rates by streamlining the guidelines for grade placement and fostering greater collaboration at the local and school levels.
The bill also better prepares Georgia’s future teachers and educates parents on the critical importance of early literacy and language development.
Primarily, the bill focuses on implementing evidence-based practices aligned with the ‘science of reading’ through new funding, specialized personnel, and structured literacy plans.
Its first major provision is to establish a tiered support system of literacy coaches to assist teachers and students. This will involve school-based coaches, regional coaches, and regional leadership coaches.
Its second major provision is to mandate a return to phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary comprehension.
If signed into law, the State Board of Education will be required to approve a list of related instructional materials by March 1, 2027.
Speaker Jon Burns Praises Final Passage of Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. Read more here: https://t.co/zGcA3nSrdE #gapol #gahouse
— Georgia House of Representatives (@GaHouseHub) April 1, 2026
