Georgia CommonsHB 1167: Sleep Health Awareness Week; second week in March of each year; designate
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 4, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1167
By: Representatives Dawson of the 65th, Hawkins of the 27th, Greene of the 154th, Kelley of the 16th, Glaize of the 67th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 and Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances and general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health, respectively, so as to designate the second week in March of each year as "Sleep Health Awareness Week" in Georgia; to encourage the Department of Public Health to integrate sleep hygiene education; to provide for the Department of Public Health to voluntarily exchange information regarding sleep hygiene education; to provide for legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health, as essential to human life and well-being as proper nutrition and physical activity;
(2) Quality sleep is necessary for the body to repair itself, for the brain to process information, and for the maintenance of long-term mental and physical health;
(3) Chronic lack of sleep is linked to a higher risk of serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and a weakened immune system; and
(4) Increasing public awareness about the importance of restorative sleep can improve the safety, productivity, and overall quality of life for all citizens of Georgia.
SECTION 2.
Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"1-4-28.
(a) The second week of March of each year, commencing on the second Sunday of such month to coincide with the historic onset of daylight savings time, is designated as 'Sleep Health Awareness Week' in Georgia.
(b) This designation serves to promote public awareness regarding the physiological effects of circadian disruption and the documented statistical increase in adverse cardiovascular events associated with the annual loss of sleep."
SECTION 3.
Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"31-2A-21.
(a) The department is encouraged to integrate sleep hygiene education into existing public health frameworks as a foundational component of chronic disease prevention and mental health wellness.
(b) Pursuant to Code Section 1-4-28, during Sleep Health Awareness Week, the department may facilitate the voluntary exchange of information and best practices in the following strategic areas:
(1) Neurocognitive development: disseminating research on the impact of sleep on adolescent learning, memory consolidation, and academic performance;
(2) Clinical practice and healthcare systems: encouraging the awareness of sleep hygiene in primary care and the study of evidence based shift scheduling to reduce diagnostic errors and promote sleep hygiene for healthcare providers with demanding schedules;
(3) Workforce and economic policy: highlighting the correlation between sleep hygiene and workplace safety, employee productivity, and the mitigation of sleep related economic losses;
(4) Public safety and transportation: promoting awareness of the cognitive impairments associated with drowsy driving;
(5) Chronic disease prevention: providing information on the causal relationship between insufficient sleep and the prevalence of obesity, oncological risk, and neurodegenerative disorders;
(6) Mental health and suicide prevention: promoting awareness of the clinical link between sleep disruption and acute emotional dysregulation, emphasizing sleep hygiene as a modifiable risk factor in suicide prevention frameworks and psychiatric stability; and
(7) Maternal and infant health: disseminating evidence based guidelines regarding the critical role of safe sleep hygiene in reducing the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, emphasizing environmental risk mitigation and the integration of caregiver sleep education into neonatal and postnatal care frameworks."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.