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:
<ins>"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."
</ins> 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:
<ins>"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:
</ins>
<ins>(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."
</ins> SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.