Georgia CommonsHR 1059: Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol; recognize
Last action January 27, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution honors Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol, recognizing the program's work distributing children's books through pediatric visits across Georgia.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes Reach Out and Read, a program that partners with pediatric health providers to give young children books during well-child checkups from birth to age 5. The resolution cites statistics showing the program's reach, including hundreds of thousands of well-child visits and book distributions across dozens of Georgia counties over the past year, and millions of books given out since the program began in 1996. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or requirement. It formally commends Reach Out and Read's approach of combining healthcare visits with early literacy support, and encourages Georgia families to read aloud together every day. It also directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia.
What the bill does
- Formally commends the Reach Out and Read program for combining pediatric health visits with distribution of children's books.
- Cites statistics on the program's reach in Georgia, including well-child visits, books distributed, and counties served.
- Encourages Georgia families to read aloud together every day.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names Reach Out and Read Georgia, pediatric health care providers who take part in the program, and Georgia families with young children from birth to age 5 who participate in well-child visits.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or funding changes, but it gives official recognition to a healthcare-based literacy program, which may raise public awareness of Reach Out and Read's work and encourage more families or providers to take part in reading initiatives during pediatric visits.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses summarize the Reach Out and Read model of distributing books during pediatric well-child visits from birth to age 5.
- The whereas clauses report that 422,372 well-child checkups occurred across 92 Georgia counties in the past year, distributing 307,408 books.
- The whereas clauses state more than 3,248,426 books have been given to Georgia children since the program began in 1996.
- The resolved clause commends Reach Out and Read and encourages Georgia families to read aloud together daily.
- The final resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia.
From the bill
“the members of this body commend the efforts of Reach Out and Read to give young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into the existing pediatric care infrastructure and encourage families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Matt Dubnik (R, HD-029)
- Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)
- Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
Topics
- early childhood literacy
- pediatric health care
- children's books
- state capitol recognition