Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1402: Education; vision and hearing screening for all public school students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade; require
Last action March 6, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred
A Georgia House bill would require vision and hearing screenings for all public school students in pre-kindergarten through third grade, with grants to help schools buy screening equipment and new notices for parents when a child isn't reading at grade level.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law does not currently require schools to screen young students for vision and hearing problems. This bill would add a new requirement that every public school screen students in pre-kindergarten through third grade for vision and hearing issues, done at the school by trained staff or a qualified third party. Parents get advance written notice and can opt their child out; if a child fails a screening, the school must notify the parent. Schools must report detailed results to the Department of Public Health within 30 days, and that department must train screening staff, issue rules with the State Board of Education, and report statewide data to the General Assembly each December 1. The bill also creates one-time grants of up to $15,000 per local school system to buy screening equipment, administered by the Department of Education. Separately, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, schools must send parents written notice if their child has not reached grade-level reading proficiency by third grade.
What the bill does
- Requires all public schools to screen pre-K through third grade students for vision and hearing problems, conducted at school by trained personnel.
- Lets parents opt their child out of the screenings but requires advance written notice of when and where screenings happen.
- Requires schools to notify parents when a child fails a vision or hearing screening, and to report detailed screening statistics to the Department of Public Health within 30 days.
- Directs the Department of Public Health to train screening staff, issue rules with the State Board of Education, and report screening data to the General Assembly by December 1 each year.
- Creates a one-time grant of up to $15,000 per local school system, administered by the Department of Education, to buy vision and hearing screening equipment.
- Requires schools, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, to send parents written notice if their child has not reached grade-level reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
Who it affects
Public school students in pre-kindergarten through third grade and their parents or guardians, local school systems and other public schools that must run the screenings and reporting, and the Department of Public Health and Department of Education, which must train staff, collect data, and administer equipment grants.
Why it matters
Young children with undetected vision or hearing problems can struggle in the classroom without anyone realizing why. Mandatory screening, combined with parent notification for failed tests and reading proficiency, could catch problems earlier, though schools will need to manage new reporting duties and rely on state grants for equipment.
Key provisions
- New Code Section 20-2-770.1 requires vision and hearing screenings for all pre-K through third grade public school students, conducted at the school.
- Parents get advance written notice and can exempt their child from screening by objecting; prior approval is not otherwise required.
- Schools must report detailed screening outcome data (pass, fail, referral, treatment status, etc.) to the Department of Public Health within 30 days of screening.
- The Department of Public Health must train screening personnel, report data to the General Assembly by December 1 each year, and jointly issue rules with the State Board of Education.
- A one-time grant of up to $15,000 per local school system is available for screening equipment meeting specified technical criteria, administered by the Department of Education, subject to available state funding.
- New Code Section 20-2-153.2 requires, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, written parental notice by mail and other routine methods when a student has not reached grade-level reading proficiency by third grade.
From the bill
“Vision and hearing screenings shall be administered to all public school students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade.”
“if the parent or legal guardian of a child objects to such child being administered a hearing or vision screening, such child shall be exempt from such screening.”
“a one-time grant in an amount not to exceed $15,000.00 per local school system shall be provided to each local school system to be used exclusively for the purposes of acquiring vision screening and auditory screening equipment”
Discussed in meetings (7)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Education Committee, February 26, 2026
From 0:18:36 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute requiring vision and hearing screenings at school for public school students in prekindergarten through third grade, with parents allowed to opt out. The sponsor said parents would receive notices when children failed screenings, and the Department of Public Health would collect data and report annually to lawmakers. The sponsor described a one-time $15,000 grant per school system for screening equipment and permission to use outside screening organizations that meet state protocols. The substitute also required written notice to parents when students were not reading at grade level. The sponsor said screening data could help lawmakers examine whether children received glasses or hearing aids and how their test scores changed. Citing Lions Club reports, the sponsor said typically 20 to 30 percent of screened students received notices about failed vision screenings. The chair and several members supported identifying vision and hearing problems as barriers to learning. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote.
House Rules Committee, March 2, 2026
From 0:31:38 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1402 would require vision and hearing screenings for all public school students in prekindergarten through third grade. The sponsor said each school system would receive a one-time grant to purchase screening equipment. No questions or decision followed.
House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026
From 1:55:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1402 on the day's floor calendar under modified rules without opposition. Its provisions were not discussed.
House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM)
From 1:53:18 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1805
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1402 would require annual vision and hearing screenings at public schools for pre-K through third grade, conducted by trained school staff or qualified outside providers. The sponsor said the Department of Public Health would set protocols, train staff, collect combined data and report annually to lawmakers, with grants available for equipment. Citing research, the sponsor said 80% of learning through age 12 depends on vision and 20% to 30% of children have vision issues. The sponsor also described an added requirement to mail parents notice when a student is not reading on grade level. Several members asked about duplicate screenings, existing school-entry forms, scheduling and cost. The sponsor said existing forms were unchanged, parents could opt out of duplicate screening, screenings would occur at school rather than after school, and families would not pay for school screenings. One member, a former school nurse, said annual checks could catch problems arising after enrollment. Another member described a student's improvement after receiving glasses and supported the parent-notification addition. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill, 172 to 1.
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
- Jon Burns (R, HD-159)
- Chris Erwin (R, HD-32)
- Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
- Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
- Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)
Votes
- House voteMarch 4, 2026
172 yea, 1 nay (1 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- school health screenings
- vision and hearing testing
- early childhood education
- reading proficiency
- school funding grants