Speaker Jon Burns Praises Final Passage of Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026

ATLANTA- Today, House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) celebrated the final passage of House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. Addressing Georgia's third-grade literacy rates is a top priority for Speaker Burns this legislative session.

"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. "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."

The Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 takes bold, affirmative steps forward to strengthen Georgia's literacy rates by investing where it matters most, streamlining guidelines for grade placement, fostering greater collaboration at the local and school levels, better preparing Georgia's future teachers, and educating parents on the critical importance of early literacy and language development.

"Being able to read on grade level empowers students to expand their learning and knowledge," said House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin (R-Homer). "This bill will blanket the state with expert literacy coaches, high-quality instructional material and tools for teachers to improve the literacy rates of their students."

Additional details about the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 may be found at the link below:https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72842

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