Lt. Governor Burt Jones Announces 2026 Priority: “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 23, 2026

ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced a priority for the 2026 Legislative Session - “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act.” This legislation is sponsored by Senator Ben Watson (R – Savannah) and will be introduced tomorrow. 

“I want to thank Senator Watson for sponsoring and prioritizing legislation that honors the life and legacy of the late Charlie Kirk,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “The True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act is inspired by Charlie Kirk’s brave efforts to bring both the Word of God and the truth of conservative values to school campuses across America, through open discussion and debate in public forums. In the spirit and memory of Charlie’s work, the TPUSA Act in Georgia would ensure that students’ First Amendment rights to organize, gather, and speak are protected, regardless of their religious, political, or social viewpoints or those of school administrators.”

“Now more than ever, we need to ensure that students of all backgrounds and beliefs have the right to assemble and conduct free speech,” said Senator Ben Watson. “School officials should not have the power to enforce their own ideologies onto students. This legislation will make clear that in Georgia, students and young people, regardless of political party, shall have the right to peacefully assemble, learn, and express themselves within faith-based or political clubs and groups.”

“Charlie Kirk lived and died for the First Amendment,” said Josh Thifault - Senior Director at Turning Point Action. “Thank God for Georgia leading the charge as the first state to back their official partnership with substantial state legislation. Georgia students will benefit from this courageous act for decades to come. Christian conservative values have never been more popular on high school and college campuses. The TPUSA act unleashes this momentum by removing fear and intimidation from student culture.”

The “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act” ensures that:

    •    Public school students in Georgia must be permitted to engage in political activities and expression before, during, and after the school day in the same manner and to the same extent that students may engage in non-political activities and expression.

•    Public school students may organize partisan or non-partisan political activities and groups before, during, and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups during non-instructional time.

    •    Public schools that provide a limited open forum are barred from denying equal access or a fair opportunity, or discriminating against, students who wish to conduct a meeting within the forum on the basis of the group’s political, philosophical, ideological, or other content of the speech made at such meetings.

   •    Partisan and non-partisan political groups will be given the same access and opportunities to announce and advertise meetings and use school facilities as other groups and cannot be discriminated against on the basis of the political content of their expressions.

    •    Public school students are guaranteed the right to wear clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display political messages and symbols in the same manner and to the same extent that other types of clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display messages and symbols are permitted under the school dress code.