HR611: HR611 House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge; create

This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge. It responds to concerns that Georgia lacks clear systems for supporting minors leaving psychiatric hospitalization or hospital emergency rooms, including gaps in step-down and community-based services, unclear responsibilities among the state, hospitals, and health insurers, and weak care coordination. The committee would have five House members appointed by the Speaker of the House, who would also name the chairperson. The chairperson would call meetings, and the committee would study challenges facing abandoned children after hospital discharge. Members would receive standard legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. 28-1-8 for up to three days unless more are approved, funded through the House's existing budget. Any findings or recommendations, including proposed legislation, would need majority approval before being filed with the Clerk of the House. The committee would be abolished on December 1, 2025.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge, made up of five House members appointed by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study the challenges faced by children abandoned after leaving psychiatric hospitalization or other out-of-home care.
• Sets rules for meetings, allowances, and funding, capping paid allowance days at three unless additional days are authorized.
• Requires any committee report or legislative recommendations to be approved by majority vote before being filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Sets the committee's abolishment date as December 1, 2025, ending its work unless a report is filed before then.

Members of the Georgia House of Representatives appointed to the committee, minors discharged from psychiatric hospitals or emergency rooms, their parents or guardians, hospital providers, health insurers, and state agencies involved in child welfare and mental health services.

The committee's findings could shape future legislation on how Georgia coordinates care for children abandoned after psychiatric hospitalization, potentially affecting funding, service availability, and defined responsibilities among hospitals, insurers, and the state, though the resolution itself creates no new services or requirements yet.

• Paragraph (1) formally creates the study committee.
• Paragraph (2) sets membership at five House members appointed by the Speaker, who also designates the chairperson.
• Paragraph (3) defines the committee's task as studying challenges facing abandoned children after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization or other out-of-home care.
• Paragraph (5) ties member allowances to O.C.G.A. 28-1-8 and limits paid days to three unless additional days are authorized, funded from the House's existing appropriations.
• Paragraph (6) requires majority approval of any report or legislative recommendation before it can be filed with the Clerk of the House.
• Paragraph (7) sets the committee's abolishment date as December 1, 2025.

1. 2025-04-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-04-04House Third Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
4. 2025-03-21House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-20House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-03-18House Hopper (House)

• Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)Primary sponsor
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
• James Hatchett (R, HD-155)

1. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   166 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 9 absent)

   Uncontested House Resolutions: House Vote #444

• child welfare
• mental health services
• hospital discharge
• legislative study committee
• foster care and out-of-home care