Georgia CommonsHB 334: Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act; enact
Last action May 5, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-07-01
Georgia House Bill 334 would require child care centers to give parents yearly information on RSV and require the Department of Community Health to review Medicaid coverage for sickle cell disease treatments every year.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This bill addresses two separate health issues in Georgia law. First, it amends the state's early care and learning code (O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-18) so that every child care learning center and family child care learning home must give parents or guardians educational information about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and prevention recommendations by September 1 each year, based on guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics. Second, it adds a new section to Georgia's public assistance code (O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5) requiring the Department of Community Health to review, every year, all medications, treatments, and services covered by Medicaid for people diagnosed with sickle cell disease. The department must seek public input, especially from people or groups experienced with sickle cell disease treatment, and must submit a report to legislative leaders by January 15 each year and post it on its website.
What the bill does
- Requires child care learning centers and family child care learning homes to give parents yearly written information on RSV and prevention by September 1.
- Bases the RSV information on guidelines from professional medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Creates a new requirement for the Department of Community Health to review Medicaid-covered medications, treatments, and services for sickle cell disease patients every year.
- Requires the department to gather public input on the annual review, with special focus on people experienced in sickle cell disease treatment.
- Requires an annual report to the General Assembly's presiding officers and relevant committees by January 15, plus public posting of the report online.
Who it affects
Parents and guardians of children enrolled in Georgia child care centers and family child care homes, child care providers who must distribute the RSV information, Medicaid recipients diagnosed with sickle cell disease, and the Department of Community Health, which must conduct the reviews and submit reports.
Why it matters
Families using licensed child care would get yearly RSV prevention information they may not currently receive. Medicaid patients with sickle cell disease could see more attention paid to whether their treatment options are adequate, since the state would have to formally review coverage and report findings each year.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds subsection (a.1) to O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-18, requiring child care providers to give RSV information to parents by September 1 annually.
- Section 2 creates O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5, requiring an annual Department of Community Health review of Medicaid coverage for sickle cell disease medications, treatments, and services.
- Section 2(b) requires the department to solicit public input during the review, emphasizing input from those with sickle cell disease treatment experience.
- Section 2(c) requires a report to the General Assembly's presiding officers and standing committees by January 15 each year, and requires the report be published on the department's website.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Each child care learning center and family child care learning home shall, by September 1 of each year, provide to the parent or guardian of each child enrolled therein educational information on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and recommendations on prevention”
“The department shall conduct an annual review of all medications, forms of treatment, and services that are eligible for coverage under the Medicaid program for Medicaid recipients with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-07-01
- Act 401
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
Show full history (20 actions)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Postponed (House)
- House Postponed (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
- Mary Oliver (D, HD-084)
- Michelle Au (D, HD-050)
- Inga Willis (D, HD-055)
- Anne Westbrook (D, HD-163)
- Edna Jackson (D, HD-165)
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2026
159 yea, 7 nay (2 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2026
49 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 1 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
149 yea, 18 nay (6 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- sickle cell disease
- Medicaid coverage
- child care regulations
- RSV prevention
- public health