HB795: HB795 Public Health, Department of; establish an Infant Wellness Resource hotline service

Georgia does not currently have a dedicated statewide hotline for parents worried about a sick infant. This bill would add a new section to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-21) directing the Department of Public Health to set up and staff, subject to available funding, an Infant Wellness Resource hotline available 24 hours a day for callers seeking help for a child under three. Hotline staff would screen each call: non-emergencies would be referred to state and local health programs or connected to a telehealth doctor within two business days, while emergencies would trigger a hands-on transfer to 911 without putting the caller on hold. The Department of Administrative Services would contract with at least ten healthcare providers to deliver telehealth visits. The bill also creates legal immunity for people who make good-faith referrals or connections through the hotline, and lets the department write implementing rules.

• Directs the Department of Public Health to establish and staff a 24 hour Infant Wellness Resource hotline for calls about infants (children under three) with health issues.
• Requires hotline staff to screen calls and either refer non-emergency callers to health resources and telehealth doctors within two business days, or perform a hands-on transfer to 911 for emergencies.
• Requires the Department of Administrative Services to select and contract with at least ten healthcare providers to deliver telehealth services through the hotline.
• Grants civil and criminal immunity to people who make good-faith referrals or connections through the hotline program.
• Allows hotline funding to cover reimbursement for uninsured callers' care, staff training, and promotional materials, but bars using funds to cover commercial insurance copayments.
• Authorizes the Department of Public Health to adopt rules and regulations to carry out the hotline program.

Parents and caregivers of infants under three years old, the Department of Public Health and Department of Administrative Services, hotline staff, and healthcare professionals who contract to provide telehealth services under the program.

Families worried about a sick infant would get a dedicated, round-the-clock line that either connects them to a doctor by video within two business days or hands them straight to 911 in a true emergency, potentially speeding up care and reducing unnecessary emergency room visits.

• Adds new Code section 31-2A-21 to Chapter 2A of Title 31, defining key terms like 'infant' (under three years old), 'emergency,' and 'telehealth.'
• Subsection (b) requires the department, subject to available funding, to run the hotline 24 hours a day.
• Subsection (c) sets procedures for screening calls: referral or telehealth connection within two business days for non-emergencies, and a detailed 'warm hand-off' to 911 for emergencies without putting callers on hold.
• Subsection (d) requires the Department of Administrative Services to contract with ten or more telehealth healthcare providers, judged on factors like language access, insurance maximization, and telehealth experience with infants.
• Subsection (e) requires the department to develop training for hotline staff, public promotional materials, and a hotline description on its website, subject to funding.
• Subsection (f) limits how appropriated funds can be spent, barring use to cover commercial insurance copayments.
• Subsection (g) gives civil and criminal immunity to people making good-faith referrals or connections through the hotline.
• Subsection (h) authorizes the department to adopt implementing rules and regulations.

1. 2025-03-21House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-20House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-18House Hopper (House)

• Park Cannon (D, HD-058)Primary sponsor
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
• Tanya Miller (D, HD-062)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)

• infant health
• public health hotline
• telehealth
• child healthcare access