Legislation that could make it easier to opt out of standardized state tests was adopted by the Georgia House of Representatives Friday.

House Bill 425 clarifies that parents can opt their children out of school testing without penalty. It also says they can choose to have their children take tests with paper and pencil rather than on a computer. The bill by Rep. Joyce Chandler, R-Grayson, passed 151-18.

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Wade Roberts (center), a Decatur-area resident with children in three of the city's schools, speaks as Decatur parents met with Education Planners, a consulting firm, on Nov. 13, at Beacon Hill Middle School in Decatur to discuss the possibility of one of the district's five K-2 schools closing. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)