---
title: HR 1579. House Study Committee on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and Medically Fragile Student Attendance; create
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr1579
cite_as: HR 1579, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1579
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1579.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1579/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73859
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
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: 132
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1579.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 1579
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-03-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Mary Ann Santos
  - Karen Lupton
  - Mekyah McQueen
  - Michelle Au
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1579/2025
upstream_id: 2128601
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - hospital/homebound instruction
  - medically fragile students
  - chronic absenteeism
  - education policy study
  - Georgia House committees
---

# HR 1579. House Study Committee on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and Medically Fragile Student Attendance; create

## Text

House Resolution 1579
By: Representatives Santos of the 117th, Lupton of the 83rd, McQueen of the 61st, and Au of
the 50th
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and
Medically Fragile Student Attendance; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, all students in this state are entitled to equitable and timely access to
instructional services that support academic progress, consistent attendance, and on-time
graduation; and
WHEREAS, students who qualify for hospital/homebound (HHB) services, including those
who are medically fragile or experiencing significant physical or mental health challenges,
often rely on such services as their primary means of accessing a public education during
periods of medical need; and
WHEREAS, delays in the initiation of HHB services and variations in service delivery across
local school systems may result in lost instructional time, reduced credit accrual, and
increased risk of chronic absenteeism; and
WHEREAS, chronic absenteeism is a key indicator of academic performance and graduation
outcomes and has been identified as a statewide priority for improvement; and
WHEREAS, local school systems currently utilize differing staffing models, funding
approaches, and instructional methods to provide HHB services, and a review of such
models, approaches, and methods may identify strategies to improve efficiency, access, and
student success; and
WHEREAS, students returning from HHB placement frequently require structured and
coordinated reintegration into the traditional school setting in order to maintain academic
progress and support their long-term well-being; and
WHEREAS, a comprehensive study of HHB services and medically fragile student
attendance will allow the House of Representatives to hear from educators, families, medical
providers, the Department of Education, and other stakeholders and to develop informed
recommendations for any needed legislative action; and
WHEREAS, improving student attendance and supporting medically fragile students align
with this state's commitment to educational opportunity and workforce readiness.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee
on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and Medically Fragile Student Attendance.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the
House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
with one of such number designated as chairperson of the committee.
(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,
issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or
legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.
(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee
may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or
convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and
accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.
(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(B) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state
employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that
specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state
employees.
(C) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds
appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement
of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the
reimbursement of expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to
or otherwise available to their respective agencies.
(6) Report.
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for
proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)
of this paragraph.
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of
abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.
A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with
the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the
House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu
thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.

## 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 would create a study committee to examine hospital/homebound instruction and attendance issues for medically fragile students, with recommendations due before the panel disbands on December 1, 2026.

### Plain-language summary

Students who are medically fragile or facing serious health challenges can qualify for hospital/homebound (HHB) services, which let them keep receiving instruction while unable to attend school in person. This resolution creates the House Study Committee on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and Medically Fragile Student Attendance to look at how these services are delivered across Georgia's local school systems.
The five-member committee, appointed by the Speaker of the House, would study staffing, funding, and instructional approaches used for HHB services, along with how students transition back to regular classrooms. It can hold meetings, hear from educators, families, medical providers, and the Department of Education, and recommend legislation. Legislative members get standard travel and expense allowances, funded through the House's budget. The committee must file any approved report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

### What it does

- Creates a five-member House study committee on hospital/homebound services and medically fragile student attendance, appointed by the Speaker.
- Directs the committee to study staffing, funding, and instructional models local school systems use for HHB services.
- Authorizes the committee to hold meetings, gather input from stakeholders, and recommend legislation or other action.
- Sets legislative member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 and non-legislator per diem under O.C.G.A. § 45-7-21, capped at five days unless extended.
- Requires any approved findings or report to be filed with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
- Abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

### Who it affects

The resolution directly affects members of the House of Representatives appointed to the committee, plus the students, families, educators, medical providers, and Department of Education staff who may be asked to give input on hospital/homebound services for medically fragile students.

### Why it matters

If created, the committee could shape future legislation on how Georgia schools deliver instruction to medically fragile or hospitalized students, potentially affecting attendance policies, funding for HHB programs, and how students reintegrate into classrooms after medical absences.

### Key provisions

- Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Hospital/Homebound (HHB) Services and Medically Fragile Student Attendance.
- Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at five House members appointed by the Speaker, with one designated chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) charges the committee with studying HHB-related issues and recommending action or legislation.
- Paragraph (5) sets allowance and funding rules, capping paid days at five unless additional days are authorized, funded through House appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires any approved report or findings to be filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-03-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Mary Ann Santos, Karen Lupton, Mekyah McQueen, Michelle Au
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73859

> The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1579.md?full=1