--- title: HR 136. Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol; February 7-14, 2025; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr136 cite_as: HR 136, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr136 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr136.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr136/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69792 date: 2025-02-03 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/hr135.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr137.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr136.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 136 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-03 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Katie Dempsey - Lee Hawkins - Carolyn Hugley - Sharon Cooper - Darlene Taylor text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR136/2025 upstream_id: 1952932 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - congenital heart defects - health awareness - children's health - state capitol resolutions --- # HR 136. Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol; February 7-14, 2025; recognize ## Text House Resolution 136 By: Representatives Dempsey of the 13th, Hawkins of the 27th, Hugley of the 141st, Cooper of the 45th, and Taylor of the 173rd A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 7 to 14, 2025, as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, congenital heart defects are one of the most frequently occurring birth defects and a leading cause of deaths related to birth defects worldwide; and WHEREAS, more than one million families across America face the challenges and hardships of raising children with congenital heart defects, and each year, approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with these conditions; and WHEREAS, some congenital heart defects are not diagnosed until months or years after birth; when these conditions go undiagnosed, they can cause many cases of sudden cardiac death in young athletes; and WHEREAS, despite these alarming statistics, newborns and young athletes are still not regularly screened for congenital heart defects; and WHEREAS, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week provides an opportunity for families whose lives have been affected by congenital heart defects to celebrate life, remember the loved ones they have lost, honor dedicated health professionals, and share information with the public and the media. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize February 7 to 14, 2025, as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol. 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 and its Kids at Heart program. ## 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 recognizes February 7 to 14, 2025, as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol, honoring families and health professionals affected by these birth defects. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives designates February 7 to 14, 2025, as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol. It does not change any law; it is a ceremonial statement recognizing the impact of congenital heart defects, which the resolution describes as a leading cause of birth-defect-related deaths and a condition affecting more than a million American families each year. The resolution notes that some heart defects go undiagnosed for months or years, sometimes contributing to sudden cardiac death in young athletes, and that newborns and young athletes are not regularly screened. It directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and its Kids at Heart program. ### What it does - Formally recognizes February 7 to 14, 2025, as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the Georgia state capitol. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and its Kids at Heart program. - Creates no new legal requirements, funding, or screening mandates; it is a symbolic statement rather than a change to Georgia law. ### Who it affects Families of children with congenital heart defects, health professionals who treat these conditions, and organizations like Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and its Kids at Heart program, which the resolution specifically names as a recipient of the document. ### Why it matters The resolution itself creates no screening requirements or funding, so it does not change medical practice or law. Its main effect is raising public awareness and honoring affected families, which may support advocacy efforts around congenital heart defect screening. ### Key provisions - Resolves that House members recognize February 7 to 14, 2025 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the state capitol. - Directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and its Kids at Heart program. - Recites background findings, including that congenital heart defects are a leading cause of birth-defect-related deaths and that newborns and young athletes are not regularly screened for them. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-03) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-03) - Sponsors: Katie Dempsey, Lee Hawkins, Carolyn Hugley, Sharon Cooper, Darlene Taylor - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69792 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr136.md?full=1