---
title: HB 334. Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb334
cite_as: HB 334, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb334
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb334.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb334/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70064
date: 2026-05-05
status: passed
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: 1548
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb334.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 334
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-05
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Omari Crawford
- Mary Oliver
- Michelle Au
- Inga Willis
- Anne Westbrook
- Edna Jackson
- Ed Harbison
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB334/2025
upstream_id: 1961025
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- sickle cell disease
- Medicaid coverage
- child care regulations
- RSV prevention
- public health
---
# HB 334. Sickle Cell Disease Protection Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 334 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Oliver of the 84th, Au of the 50th, Willis of the 55th,
Westbrook of the 163rd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1A of Title 20 and Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to early care and learning and public assistance, respectively, so as to
address childhood viruses and diseases by providing information and collecting data; to
provide for child care learning centers and family child care learning homes to provide
certain information on respiratory syncytial virus to parents; to require the Department of
Community Health to conduct an annual review of medications and treatment for sickle cell
disease for Medicaid recipients; to provide for public input; to provide for an annual report;
to provide for related matters; 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 Article 1, relating to general provisions, by adding a new subsection
to Code Section 20-1A-18, relating to information on influenza vaccine, to read as follows:
"(a.1) 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 based on guidelines and recommendations on the subject from professional
medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public assistance,
is amended in Article 7, relating to medical assistance generally, by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
"49-4-159.5.
(a) 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. The purpose of the annual review shall
be to determine if the available covered medications, treatments, and services are adequate
to meet the needs of Medicaid recipients with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease, and
whether the department should seek to add additional medications, treatments, or services.
(b) When conducting the annual review required by this Code section, the department shall
solicit and consider input from the general public, with specific emphasis on attempting to
receive input from persons or groups with knowledge and experience in the area of sickle
cell disease treatment.
(c) On or before January 15 of each year, the department shall submit a report to the
presiding officers of each house of the General Assembly, who shall forward a copy of the
report to the chairperson or chairpersons of the appropriate standing committee or
committees in each house that details the department's findings from the annual review
required by this Code section, as well as any recommendations based upon such findings.
The department shall publish the annual report required by this subsection to its public
website."
SECTION 3.
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.
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.
### Plain-language summary
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 it 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.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-05)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-05)
- Sponsors: Omari Crawford, Mary Oliver, Michelle Au, Inga Willis, Anne Westbrook, Edna Jackson, Ed Harbison
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70064
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,548 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb334.md?full=1