Georgia Passes Literacy Overhaul Bill

New law will place literacy coaches in every K-3 school to boost reading proficiency

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:54pm

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The Georgia Legislature has unanimously passed a bill that will place a specialized literacy coach in every kindergarten through third grade school in the state, in an effort to improve Georgia's low third grade reading scores. The bill, which now heads to the governor's desk, also establishes a Georgia Literacy Task Force and state literacy director, requires school systems to institute literacy plans, and prevents students from being placed in first grade without completing kindergarten.

Why it matters

More than 60% of Georgia third graders currently do not read proficiently, which education experts say is a major predictor of future academic and life success. Improving early literacy is seen as crucial for addressing issues like absenteeism, drug use, teenage pregnancy, crime, and bullying.

The details

The literacy overhaul bill, known as the Early Literacy Act of 2026, was the top priority of House Speaker Jon Burns. It will cost over $100 million to implement, with funding coming from the state budget. The bill establishes standards for hiring over 1,300 new literacy coaches, and school systems will have an aggressive timeline to get the coaches in place, likely taking a couple years. The bill also dissolves the existing Georgia Council on Literacy and funds the coaches through a grant program rather than the state's education funding formula.

  • The Georgia Legislature unanimously passed the bill on Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
  • The bill now heads to the governor's desk, with Thursday, April 3, 2026 being the last day of the legislative session for the bill to be signed into law this year.

The players

Jon Burns

Republican Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and the driving force behind the literacy overhaul bill.

Billy Hickman

Republican state senator who chairs the Senate Education Committee and spoke about the broad societal benefits of improving literacy rates.

Dayle Burns

Retired teacher and principal, and the wife of House Speaker Jon Burns, who was also a major advocate for the literacy bill.

Chris Erwin

Republican state representative who sponsored the literacy overhaul bill in the House.

Blake Tillery

Republican state senator who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and authored an amendment to the bill that largely restored the House's priorities.

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What they’re saying

“The passage of the Early Literacy Act of 2026 marks the beginning of unprecedented change and a monumental step forward for every child who sets foot in a Georgia classroom.”

— Jon Burns, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives

“We're finding out that as literacy rates go up, absenteeism goes down. As literacy rates go up, drug use goes down. As literacy rates go up, teenage pregnancy goes down. As literacy rates go up, crime goes down. As literacy rates go up, bullying goes down. Y'all see the general theme here is our children have got to be reading on grade level.”

— Billy Hickman, State Senator, Chair of Senate Education Committee

“When you start out as a reader and you have the confidence and you can follow your dreams through books and stories and realize what's out there in the world, it's going to make a difference. I'm so proud of Georgia for this.”

— Dayle Burns, Retired Teacher and Principal

What’s next

Governor Brian Kemp has until Thursday, April 3, 2026 to sign the literacy overhaul bill into law.

The takeaway

This landmark legislation represents a major state-level effort to address Georgia's longstanding struggle with low third grade reading proficiency, which research shows is a critical predictor of future academic and life outcomes. By investing over $100 million to place specialized literacy coaches in every early elementary classroom, Georgia is making an ambitious and comprehensive push to ensure all students develop strong reading skills at a young age.