Lt. Governor Burt Jones Supports Senate Passage of the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 4, 2026

ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones issued a statement in support of a priority for the 2026 Legislative Session – the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act” – passing the Senate with a bi-partisan vote of 46-7.Senate Bill 552 is sponsored by Senator Ben Watson (R – Savannah) and is now headed to the Georgia House for consideration.  

“I want to thank the Georgia Senate for passing Senate Bill 552, which honors the life and legacy of the late Charlie Kirk,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “The TPUSA Act is the first piece of legislation in the nation that would codify into law 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. I am proud to prioritize this bill to 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.”

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.