(a) No governing body of a charter school established pursuant to this article or of a state chartered special school shall make or enforce any rule that requires students to wear face masks or face coverings while present in any area of a school or school grounds or other property owned or operated by the charter school unless such rule provides that
a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such charter school may elect for his or her child to be exempt from such rule. A parent or guardian making such election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of
such election by a parent or guardian.
(b) No administrator, teacher, or other school personnel while acting within the scope of his or her employment with a charter school established pursuant to this article or a state chartered special school shall make or enforce any rule that requires students to wear face masks or face coverings while present in any area of a school or school grounds or other property owned or operated by the charter school unless such rule provides that a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such charter school may elect for his or her child to be exempt from such rule. A parent or guardian making such election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child’s health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of such election by a parent or guardian.
(c) This Code section shall not be subject to waivers pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for a strategic waivers school system, Code Section 20-2-244 for a local board of education, Code Section 20-2-2063.2 for a charter system, or Code Section 20-2-2065 for a charter school established pursuant to this article or Article 31A of this chapter, a charter system, or schools within a charter system.
codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Unmask Georgia Students Act.”
Ga. L. 2022, p. 23, § 6/SB 514, not codified by the General Assembly, provides for the repeal of this Code section effective June 30, 2027.