--- title: HB 878. Holidays; October 9 of each year as PANDAS Day; designate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb878 cite_as: HB 878, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71845 date: 2025-04-02 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb877.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 878 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-28 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Karen Bennett - Mitchell Scoggins - Carolyn Hugley - Lee Hawkins - Sharon Cooper - Anissa Jones text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB878/2025 upstream_id: 2016625 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - PANDAS Day - children's health - pediatric autoimmune disorders - public awareness observances - insurance coverage --- # HB 878. Holidays; October 9 of each year as PANDAS Day; designate ## Text 25 LC 59 0169 House Bill 878 By: Representatives Bennett of the 94th, Scoggins of the 14th, Hugley of the 141st, Hawkins of the 27th, Cooper of the 45th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia A nnotated, relating to1 holidays and observances, so as to designate October 9 of each year as "PANDAS Day" in2 Georgia; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for re lated matters; to repeal3 conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 The General Assembly finds that:7 (1) Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune8 neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infecti on (PANDAS) create the9 sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children, causing previously healthy and10 emotionally well-adjusted children to experience severe anxiety and emotional11 disturbances;12 (2) Children with PANS and PANDAS experience a range of symptoms, including tics or13 other abnormal movements, severe separation anxiety, generalize d anxiety, irritability,14 aggression, personality changes, attention deficit hyperactivit y disorder, marked15 H. B. 878 - 1 - 25 LC 59 0169 deterioration in learning and school performance, and developmental regression, including16 regression in handwriting;17 (3) Children with PANS and PANDAS may experience a moderate to dramatic18 improvement with antibiotics, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment, or19 plasmapheresis;20 (4) Researchers at leading academic institutions are engaged in extensive research on the21 disease mechanism of and effective treatments for these disorders;22 (5) Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) is developing a pilot clinic to treat children23 with PANS and PANDAS;24 (6) The 2019 PANS Study Committee Report of the House of Representatives identified25 specific policy goals for Georgia regarding insurance coverage for diagnosis and treatment;26 pediatric provider tr aining in medical, edu cational, and behavi oral health settings; and27 increased public health surveillance of these disorders;28 (7) The deep medical and bioscience resources in Georgia make our state well situated to29 meaningfully contribute to best medical practices, research, an d medical technology to30 advance the early diagnosis and treatment of children with PANS and PANDAS;31 (8) Expert providers in the PANS consortium estimate that one in 200 children have PANS32 or PANDAS, meaning these diseases affect roughly 15,000 children in Georgia;33 (9) Many general pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and pedia tric subspecialists are not34 familiar with the most current diagnostic criteria and treatmen t guidelines for these35 disorders;36 (10) In addition to lack of access to treating providers, many insurers do not cover37 treatment for PANS and PANDAS, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, placing the38 treatment out of reach for most families;39 (11) The Southeastern PANS/PANDAS Association (SEPPA) is a Geo rgia based,40 nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to expert, insurance based care for41 children and families suffering from PANS and PANDAS in this region; and42 H. B. 878 - 2 - 25 LC 59 0169 (12) It is imperative that there be greater public awareness o f this serious health issue43 among parents, policymakers, and medical providers in Georgia.44 SECTION 2.45 Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and46 observances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:47 "1-4-27.48 October 9 of each year is designated as 'PANDAS Day' in Georgia."49 SECTION 3.50 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.51 H. B. 878 - 3 - ## 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 designate October 9 of each year as 'PANDAS Day' to raise awareness of a rare pediatric autoimmune disorder that causes sudden-onset anxiety and behavioral changes in children. ### Plain-language summary This bill adds a new section to Georgia's holidays and observances law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 4 of Title 1) to mark October 9 as 'PANDAS Day' each year. PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection, along with the related condition PANS, can cause children to suddenly develop obsessive-compulsive symptoms, severe anxiety, tics, and a drop in school performance. The bill does not create new funding, insurance mandates, or treatment programs. Instead, it lays out legislative findings describing the disorders, citing estimates that about 1 in 200 children may be affected (roughly 15,000 children in Georgia), noting that many doctors are unfamiliar with current diagnostic and treatment guidelines, and pointing out that insurance often does not cover treatment. The new observance day is meant to build public awareness among parents, medical providers, and policymakers. ### What it does - Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. ยง 1-4-27) designating October 9 of each year as 'PANDAS Day' in Georgia. - States legislative findings describing the symptoms, prevalence, and treatment challenges of PANS and PANDAS in children. - Notes that a 2019 House study committee identified policy goals on insurance coverage, provider training, and public health tracking, without enacting any of those goals into law. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new observance day designation. ### Who it affects The bill primarily affects public awareness efforts rather than creating direct legal obligations. It is relevant to families of children with PANS or PANDAS, pediatric health providers, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the Southeastern PANS/PANDAS Association, and state policymakers interested in the disorders' visibility. ### Why it matters Creating an official awareness day does not change insurance coverage, provider training, or funding for PANS and PANDAS, but it formally recognizes the conditions in Georgia law, which advocates often use as a tool to encourage future policy discussion, research attention, or public education campaigns. ### Key provisions - Section 1 lists twelve legislative findings on PANS and PANDAS, including symptoms, estimated prevalence (about 15,000 Georgia children), treatment costs, and gaps in insurance coverage and provider knowledge. - Section 2 amends Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by adding new Code section 1-4-27, designating October 9 as 'PANDAS Day.' - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard technical provision with no substantive effect here. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-28) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Karen Bennett, Mitchell Scoggins, Carolyn Hugley, Lee Hawkins, Sharon Cooper, Anissa Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71845 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878.md?full=1