--- title: HR 1031. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's facility dogs and their Canines For Kids Program; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1031 cite_as: HR 1031, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1031 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1031.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1031/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72272 date: 2026-01-15 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1030.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1032.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1031.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1031 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-15 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sharon Cooper - Katie Dempsey - Darlene Taylor - Tim Fleming text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1031/2025 upstream_id: 2083503 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - children's healthcare - facility dogs - Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - legislative commendation --- # HR 1031. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's facility dogs and their Canines For Kids Program; commend ## Text House Resolution 1031 By: Representatives Cooper of the 45th, Dempsey of the 13th, Taylor of the 173rd, and Fleming of the 114th A RESOLUTION Commending Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's facility dogs and their Canines For Kids Program; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is Georgia's leading pediatric healthcare provider and cares for kids from all 159 counties in the state; and WHEREAS, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Canines For Kids Program was established in 2009, the first program of its kind in the country; and WHEREAS, facility dogs undergo a comprehensive and intensive training process for a duration of 18 months; and WHEREAS, each hospital-based facility dog has a Children's employee handler who is responsible for caring and managing the dog; and WHEREAS, the facility dogs and trained handlers work as a team to provide comfort, support, and distraction for young patients during procedures and hospitalizations; and WHEREAS, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta employs 16 full-time facility dogs at the Arthur M. Blank, Scottish Rite, and Hughes Spalding hospitals as well as the Zalik Behavioral and Mental Health Center; and WHEREAS, Children's facility dogs provide joy, companionship, and love for countless patients, families, and staff; and WHEREAS, Canines For Kids is a goal-directed program that helps patients cope, heal, and achieve treatment goals to ensure Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is doing everything possible to make anything possible for kids. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Canines For Kids Program and extend best wishes for continued success. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution formally commends Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Canines For Kids Program, which places trained facility dogs in its hospitals to comfort young patients. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It praises Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, described as the state's leading pediatric healthcare provider serving children from all 159 Georgia counties, for its Canines For Kids Program. The resolution recounts facts about the program: it began in 2009 as the first of its kind in the country, its facility dogs go through 18 months of training, and each dog is paired with a Children's Healthcare employee handler. It notes the organization currently has 16 full-time facility dogs working across the Arthur M. Blank, Scottish Rite, and Hughes Spalding hospitals and the Zalik Behavioral and Mental Health Center. The House formally commends the program and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. ### What it does - Formally commends Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Canines For Kids Program on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives. - States factual background on the program, including its 2009 founding, 18-month dog training process, and use of employee handlers. - Notes the program currently operates 16 full-time facility dogs across four Children's Healthcare of Atlanta facilities. - Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulation, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia statutes. ### Who it affects Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, its Canines For Kids Program staff and facility dogs, and the young patients and families who benefit from the program are named in the resolution. It has no regulatory or financial effect on any other group. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendatory resolution rather than a law, it does not change anyone's rights, obligations, or funding. Its practical effect is limited to a formal, public statement of recognition from the Georgia House, along with a copy sent to the hospital system. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the program's history, founding in 2009, 18-month training process, and the 16 full-time facility dogs across four named Children's Healthcare of Atlanta facilities. - The resolving clause formally commends the Canines For Kids Program and wishes it continued success. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to provide a copy of the resolution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-15) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-15) - Sponsors: Sharon Cooper, Katie Dempsey, Darlene Taylor, Tim Fleming - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72272 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1031.md?full=1