---
title: HB 118. Education; revise requirements of child care learning centers and family child care learning homes
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb118
cite_as: HB 118, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb118
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb118.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb118/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69471
date: 2025-01-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb118.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 118
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-17
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Rick Townsend
- Karen Mathiak
- Lee Hawkins
- Trey Kelley
- Mark Newton
- Debbie Buckner
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB118/2025
upstream_id: 1929177
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- child care safety
- CPR certification
- choking prevention
- early childhood education
- child care regulations
---
# HB 118. Education; revise requirements of child care learning centers and family child care learning homes
## Text
House Bill 118
By: Representatives Townsend of the 179th, Mathiak of the 82nd, Hawkins of the 27th, Kelley
of the 16th, Newton of the 127th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to early
care and learning, so as to revise the requirements of child care learning centers and family
child care learning homes; to require that such centers and homes maintain at least one
portable airway clearance device; to require that certain employees of such centers and
homes be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); to provide for a definition; to
provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to early care and
learning, is amended in Code Section 20-1A-2, relating to definitions, by adding a new
paragraph to read as follows:
"(10.1) 'Portable airway clearance device' means a portable medical device that uses
manually created suction to remove a blockage from the airway during a choking
emergency."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-1A-10, relating to regulation of early
care and education programs, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(g.1) Child care learning centers and family child care learning homes shall:
(1) Maintain on the premises of such center or home at least one portable airway
clearance device; and
(2) Ensure that each employee of such center or home who cares for or supervises
children at such center or home is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
within 45 days of beginning his or her employment with such center or home."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require child care centers and family child care homes to keep a portable airway clearance device on site and make sure staff who work with children get CPR certified.
### Plain-language summary
This bill changes Georgia's early care and learning law (Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated) to add new safety requirements for licensed child care learning centers and family child care learning homes. It adds a legal definition for a 'portable airway clearance device,' described as a portable medical device that uses manual suction to clear a blockage from a child's airway during a choking emergency.
The bill then requires every covered center or home to keep at least one of these devices on the premises. It also requires any employee who cares for or supervises children to become certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within 45 days of starting the job. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, or if it becomes law without his signature.
### What it does
- Adds a legal definition of 'portable airway clearance device' to Georgia's early care and learning code (O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-2), describing it as a suction device used to clear a child's blocked airway during choking.
- Requires every child care learning center and family child care learning home to keep at least one portable airway clearance device on site (O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-10).
- Requires employees who care for or supervise children at these facilities to obtain CPR certification within 45 days of starting employment.
- Sets the effective date as the day the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without his signature.
### Who it affects
Licensed child care learning centers and family child care learning homes across Georgia, along with their employees who care for or supervise children, and by extension the families and young children enrolled at these facilities.
### Why it matters
Choking is a known risk for young children, and this bill would put a specific anti-choking tool and CPR-trained staff in place at licensed child care settings statewide, potentially changing how quickly a caregiver can respond to a choking emergency.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds a new definition to O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-2 describing a portable airway clearance device as a suction-based tool for clearing airway blockages during choking.
- Section 2 adds subsection (g.1) to O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-10, requiring covered centers and homes to keep at least one such device on the premises.
- Section 2 also requires employees who care for or supervise children to be CPR certified within 45 days of starting their job.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as approval by the Governor or the bill otherwise becoming law without his signature.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-17)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-28)
- Sponsors: Rick Townsend, Karen Mathiak, Lee Hawkins, Trey Kelley, Mark Newton, Debbie Buckner
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69471
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb118.md?full=1