GA HB56

Expands Georgia's existing educational tuition grant program to include spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and prison guards who were killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty; previously, only children were eligible.

Adds a formal definition of "in the line of duty" tailored to each covered occupation, including volunteer firefighters responding to emergencies or participating in training exercises, law enforcement officers or firefighters acting on or off duty to save lives or prevent crime, and prison guards performing on-duty services.

Expands the definition of "firefighter" to include those who are regularly enrolled (e.g., volunteers), in addition to those employed or appointed by state, county, or municipal fire departments.

Requires grant recipients to have been Georgia citizens for at least 12 months prior to enrolling in an approved school and to maintain citizenship while receiving funds.

Applies eligibility retroactively to cases where the line-of-duty death or disability occurred prior to July 1, 1980.