Georgia CommonsHB 1410: Georgia Student Vision and Literacy Readiness Act; enact
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 25, 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 1410
By: Representatives Cummings of the 39th, Schofield of the 63rd, Davis of the 87th, and Scott of the 76th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 and Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education and the Department of Public Health, respectively, so as to modernize vision screening and literacy readiness requirements for elementary and secondary school students; to provide for regular vision screenings by certain personnel; to provide for parent notification; to provide for a parent or legal guardian to opt out of vision screening at school; to provide for referrals; to provide for data sharing between the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health; to provide for annual reports; to provide for privacy protections; to create the Georgia Vision Access Fund; to provide for standards for vision screenings; to provide for certifications; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to provide for legislative findings and intent; 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.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Student Vision and Literacy Readiness Act."
SECTION 2.
(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Vision is essential to learning and literacy, and more than 80 percent of classroom instruction depends upon visual processing;
(2) Children with undiagnosed or uncorrected vision problems are more likely to struggle with reading proficiency by third grade, directly affecting educational attainment;
(3) Traditional vision acuity testing using wall charts and occluders are labor intensive and time consuming and often fail to detect several conditions that interfere with reading and comprehension, including astigmatism, farsightedness, eye teaming and focusing issues, amblyopia, certain serious eye disease, and loss of peripheral vision;
(4) Modern vision screenings using advanced digital technology and instrument based devices such as photoscreeners and autorefractors provide faster and more accurate detection; and
(5) Integrating reliable vision data with literacy intervention initiatives will strengthen Georgia's state-wide reading proficiency goals.
(b) It is therefore the intent of the General Assembly to:
(1) Establish periodic, evidence based vision screening for all K-12 students using advanced digital technology or instrument based devices;
(2) Ensure timely referral, comprehensive examination, and closure of all failed screenings;
(3) Integrate vision health outcomes into literacy readiness indicators; and
(4) Support equitable access to eye care through state and federal funds.
SECTION 3.
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, is amended in Part 3 of Article 16, relating to health of students, by revising Code Section 20-2-770, relating to rules and regulations for nutritional screening and eye, ear, and dental examinations of students, as follows:
"20-2-770.
(a) The Department of Public Health is authorized and directed, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for a nutritional screening and eye, ear, and dental examinations or screenings for each student entering the first grade in the public schools of this state and at such other times as such rules and regulations shall provide. Such rules and regulations shall provide procedures for local boards of health to provide for such examinations and or screenings and for the issuance of a certificate to the parent or parents of children entering the first grade indicating that such examinations and or screenings have been made, and such certificates shall be turned in to the school officials at the time of enrollment. Such rules and regulations shall further provide that the examinations and or screenings required in this Code section may be made by private practitioners and authorize the certification provided for in this Code section by such private practitioners.
(b) No later than August 1, 2027, each local school system and public school shall ensure that every student enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 in such school system or school receives a vision screening upon initial enrollment and at each of the following levels: kindergarten and grades one, three, five, seven, and ten. Local school systems and public schools may conduct additional vision screenings as resources permit.
(c) The Form 3300 Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutrition Screening shall be required at initial enrollment in a school and shall include notation of compliance with requirements for vision screenings provided for in Code Section 31-2A-21.
(d) Vision screenings may be performed by a school nurse, trained school health personnel, contracted healthcare professional, licensed optometrist, licensed ophthalmologist, Department of Public Health employee, a contractor certified by the Department of Public Health pursuant to Code Section 31-2A-21, or a trained volunteer.
(e) The parent or legal guardian of a student subject to a scheduled vision screening at a school shall be notified at least five school days prior to such screening being conducted at such school and given the opportunity to opt the student out of such screening.
(f) The parent or legal guardian of a student who fails to meet vision screening thresholds shall be notified of the results of such screening within ten school days of such screening. Such notification shall include a referral for a comprehensive eye examination by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist and information regarding financial assistance available under the Georgia Vision Access Fund as provided for in Code Section 31-2A-21.
(g) A school shall make reasonable efforts consistent with federal and state privacy laws to verify completion of a comprehensive eye examination and shall close referrals within sixty school days of the referral.
(h) Each local school system and public school shall annually report to the State Board of Education the number of vision screenings conducted, the number of students failing to meet vision screening thresholds, the number of completed comprehensive eye examinations, and such additional data as may be required under subsection (i) of this Code section.
(i) The State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health shall jointly develop a secure, de-identified data-sharing protocol linking aggregated vision screening outcomes with state-wide literacy performance indicators to inform early reading interventions and resource allocation. The Department of Public Health shall publish summaries of such information for the state and each local school system and public school in a de-identified format consistent with federal and state privacy laws."
SECTION 4.
Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of Public Health, is amended in Article 1, relating to general provisions, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"31-2A-21.
(a) There is created the Georgia Vision Access Fund as a separate fund in the state treasury, to be administered by the Department of Public Health for the purpose of:
(1) Procuring and maintaining advanced digital technology and instrument based devices for the vision screenings provided for in Code Section 20-2-770;
(2) Training personnel for conducting such screenings;
(3) Covering the cost of comprehensive eye examinations, eyeglasses, or related vision care for uninsured or underinsured students as a result of such screenings; and
(4) Covering the cost of travel vouchers, weekend events, and on-site dispensing partnerships to deliver services or glasses as a result of such screenings.
(b) The Georgia Vision Access Fund may receive state appropriations, grants, gifts, and donations.
(c) The Department of Public Health, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall adopt modernized, evidence based vision screening standards, taking into consideration established federal and state guidelines. Such standards shall be reviewed and updated at least every five years. Such standards shall:
(1) Prioritize the use of advanced digital technology or instrument based devices capable of automated, objective vision screening;
(2) Permit the use of traditional vision acuity testing using wall charts and occluders when advanced digital technology or instrument based devices are unavailable or inappropriate; and
(3) Define vision screening thresholds, re-screening procedures, device specifications, and training requirements for personnel conducting vision screening.
(d) The Department of Public Health is authorized to certify contractors to conduct vision screenings in schools, provided that such certification shall be free and available online. Such contractors may include but not be limited to local health departments, telehealth providers, mobile screening units, and nonprofit partners.
(e) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section."
SECTION 5.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon becoming law without such approval.
SECTION 6.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.