Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026; enact

The 'Georgia Council on Literacy' was removed from the bill's scope, and its functions were replaced by a new 'State Literacy Director' position.

New provisions were added to provide grants for reimbursing the salary and benefits of one school-based literacy coach per eligible school (K-3), with reduced funding for smaller schools.

The bill now explicitly provides for literacy coaching endorsements for certificated professional personnel, whereas the previous version focused on repealing the old coach position.

The legislative intent and summary were rewritten to reflect the transition from a council structure to a director structure and to emphasize the new funding requirements.

Replaced the introductory text stating the committee offered a substitute with a formal header identifying the document as a 'Committee Substitute' and listing the sponsoring representatives.

Added provisions allowing parents to voluntarily enroll four- or five-year-olds in pre-kindergarten and to elect kindergarten enrollment for children who are otherwise eligible for first grade.

Added specific duties for the Georgia Council on Literacy to research and make recommendations regarding literacy rates for low-income, minority, and English speakers of other languages (ESOL) students.

Removed the original version's specific focus on funding for school-based literacy coaches in grades K-3 and the requirement for first-grade readiness assessments, which were replaced or reorganized in the substitute.

Changed the bill title from 'Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026' to include '(SUB)' to indicate it is a substitute bill, and updated the short title reference in the text.