Georgia HB 1402: Education; vision and hearing screening for all public school students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade; require

Bill Text

26 LC 49 2702
House Bill 1402
By: Representatives Hagan of the 156
th, Burns of the 159
th, Erwin of the 32
nd, Donatucci of
the 105
th, Ballard of the 147
th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia1
Annotated, relating to health of students, so as to require vision and hearing screening for all2
public school students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade; to require advance3
notification to parents and guardians; to provide for parents and guardians to opt their4
children out of such screenings; to require notification to parents and guardians of children5
who fail one or both screenings; to require local school systems and other public schools to6
report information to the Department of Public Health; to require the Department of Public7
Health to annually report such information to the General Assembly; to require the8
Department of Public Health to provide training to school personnel and others to administer9
such screening; to require the Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the State10
Board of Education, to promulgate policies, rules, and regulations; to provide for grants to11
local school systems to acquire screening equipment; to require the Department of Education12
to administer such grants; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for13
other purposes.14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:15
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SECTION 1.16
Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,17
relating to health of students, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:18
"20-2-770.1.19
(a) Vision and hearing screenings shall be administered to all public school students20
enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade. Such screenings shall be facilitated and21
coordinated by the public schools and shall take place at a public school. Such screenings22
shall be administered directly by trained public school personnel or in cooperation with 23
trained personnel of a duly qualified third-party organization.24
(b)(1) Each local school system or other public school shall notify the parent or guardian25
of each child who fails a vision screening, a hearing screening, or both.26
(2) Prior approval of parents or legal guardians of public school students for such27
screenings shall not be required; provided, however, that parents and guardians shall be28
provided advance written notice of the time and place of the screenings to be29
administered to their children; and provided, further, that if the parent or legal guardian30
of a child objects to such child being administered a hearing or vision screening, such31
child shall be exempt from such screening.32
(c)(1) Each local school system and other public school shall provide the following33
information to the Department of Public Health for each school:34
(A) Total school population by grade;35
(B) Total number of students screened for vision and hearing by grade;36
(C) Total number of students that passed vision and hearing screening by grade;37
(D) Total number of students that failed vision and hearing screening by grade;38
(E) Total number of students that opted out of screening by grade; and39
(F) Total number of medical exclusions by grade.40
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(2) The information required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be provided to the41
Department of Public Health within 30 days of screenings conducted pursuant to this42
Code section.43
(d) The Department of Public Health shall:44
(1) Provide training to public school personnel and others who administer the screenings45
required by this Code section;46
(2) By December 1 each year, provide a report to the General Assembly of the data47
received from local school systems and other public schools pursuant to subsection (c)48
of this Code section; and49
(3) In collaboration with the State Board of Education, promulgate policies, rules, and50
regulations to provide for the vision and hearing screenings of public school students51
required by this Code section, the training for school personnel and others who will52
administer such screenings, and to implement all other purposes of this Code section. 53
(e) Subject to appropriations, a one-time grant in an amount not to exceed $15,000.00 per54
local school system shall be provided to each local school system to be used exclusively55
for the purposes of acquiring vision screening and auditory screening equipment, if56
needed, to conduct the screenings required by this Code section. The Department of57
Education shall be responsible for administering such grants."58
SECTION 2.59
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.60
H. B. 1402
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