South Gwinnett News

Mask mandates might be seeing an end in schools as the Georgia House of Representatives recently approved a bill ending requirements.

The "Unmask Georgia Students Act," championed by Gov. Brian Kemp; prevents teachers, administrators, superintendents and school boards from requiring that students wear masks on school property unless they are exempt by a parent or guardian, a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta said.

"We need to begin to return to normal and this is the first step in doing so," state Rep. Lauren McDonald (R-GA) told FOX 5 Atlanta. "I want to be clear—this bill does not take away a person's ability to wear a mask or say a school district cannot implement a mask mandate.  It is past time for our children to return to normal classrooms and for parents to make the decisions for their children, not the government."

While the bill has earned support from many, Democrats argued it takes away local control and will hurt a school district's ability to protect its students if new health threats arise, the FOX 5 report said. The legislation also prohibits schools from retaliating against students who opt out of wearing a face mask.

Already approved by the Senate, the bill passed the House by a vote of 93 to 52, the report said. It will go into effect as soon as the governor signs it into law. Since its passage by the General Assembly, Democrats have made a procedural move to reconsider the legislation as soon as possible. 

The law is set to expire June 20, 2027.