---
title: SB 402. Children and Youth; pilot program provision for screenings, clinical evaluations, training for autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care; establish
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb402
cite_as: SB 402, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72251
date: 2026-05-11
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1234
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 402
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
- Blake Tillery
- Kay Kirkpatrick
- Clint Dixon
- Larry Walker
- Jason Anavitarte
- Shawn Still
- Matt Brass
- Billy Hickman
- Randy Robertson
- Steve Gooch
- Ricky Williams
- Mike Hodges
- Chuck Payne
- Drew Echols
- Jason T. Dickerson
- Max Burns
- Brian Strickland
- Timothy Bearden
- Sam Watson
- Russ Goodman
- Deborah Silcox
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB402/2025
upstream_id: 2083527
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- foster care
- autism spectrum disorder
- child welfare
- healthcare screening
- state funding
---
# SB 402. Children and Youth; pilot program provision for screenings, clinical evaluations, training for autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care; establish
## Text
Senate Bill 402
By: Senators Tillery of the 19th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Dixon of the 45th, Walker III of
the 20th, Anavitarte of the 31st and others
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
programs and protection for children and youth, so as to establish a pilot program relating
to the provision of screenings, clinical evaluations, training, services, and resources for
autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care; to provide for definitions; to provide for
the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services to
develop and implement such pilot program; to provide for a final report and
recommendations; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for automatic repeal; to
provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 5 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to programs and
protection for children and youth, is amended in Article 1, relating to children and youth
services, by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"49-5-26.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Autism spectrum disorder' means a neurobiological disorder or developmental
disability characterized by challenges with verbal communication, nonverbal
communication, social skills, and restricted or repetitive behaviors, as defined by the
most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Such
term shall also include autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental
disorder not otherwise specified, and childhood disintegrative disorder.
(2) 'Caregiver' means a parent, legal guardian, foster parent, or kinship caregiver of a
child in foster care.
(3) 'Clinical evaluation' means a comprehensive process conducted by a healthcare
professional to diagnose whether a child has autism spectrum disorder and to develop a
treatment plan.
(4) 'Division' means the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of
Human Services.
(5) 'Screening' means a relatively brief process using tools such as questionnaires or
surveys to identify potential developmental concerns indicating further clinical evaluation
is necessary to determine if a child has autism spectrum disorder.
(b) Subject to appropriations, the division shall develop and implement a five-year pilot
program for the purpose of providing screenings and clinical evaluations for autism
spectrum disorder to children in foster care and providing training, services, and resources
on autism spectrum disorder to regional directors, county directors, division supervisors,
division case managers, other division staff, healthcare providers, and caregivers. All or
part of such training, services, and resources may be provided online. The pilot program
shall be established in three regional service areas in the first year and shall be expanded
to additional regional service areas each subsequent year of the pilot program until all
regional service areas are included. To the extent possible, the pilot program should
prioritize screenings, clinical evaluations, and services for children in foster care who have
been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder or reactive attachment disorder
or who have been prescribed psychotropic medications.
(c) As part of the pilot program, the division shall establish plans for the incremental
expansion of the pilot program, adopt strategies for effectively communicating with
caregivers, ensure sufficient medical consultants are available in regional service areas, and
provide technical assistance and dedicated staff for the pilot program.
(d) Upon one year of operation of the pilot program and annually thereafter, no later than
July 1, for the duration of the pilot program, the division shall submit a detailed written
report on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and chairpersons of the
House Committee on Public and Community Health, the House Committee on Judiciary
Juvenile, the Senate Children and Families Committee, and the Senate Health and Human
Services Committee. Such report shall also include recommendations as to the
implementation of the pilot program into division operations and identification of
screenings, clinical evaluations, training, services, and resources that shall be provided by
the division.
(e) The division shall be authorized to establish such rules and regulations as may be
necessary to implement the pilot program established pursuant to this Code section.
(f) This Code section shall be repealed by operation of law on July 1 of the year following
the submittal of the final report as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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.
Senate Bill 402 directs Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services to run a five-year pilot program screening foster children for autism spectrum disorder and training caseworkers, providers, and caregivers on it.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia does not currently have a statewide program specifically designed to identify autism spectrum disorder in children in foster care. This bill creates a new section of Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 49-5-26) directing the Division of Family and Children Services, part of the Department of Human Services, to develop a five-year pilot program offering screenings and clinical evaluations for autism spectrum disorder to foster children, along with training, services, and resources for caseworkers, healthcare providers, and caregivers.
The program starts in three regional service areas and expands to more each year until it covers the whole state. It is required only 'subject to appropriations,' meaning it depends on the legislature actually funding it. The division must prioritize children already diagnosed with ADHD or reactive attachment disorder or on psychotropic medications, and must report on the program's progress annually to top state officials. The program automatically ends by law one year after its final report.
### What it does
- Creates a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 49-5-26) requiring a five-year pilot program to screen and clinically evaluate foster children for autism spectrum disorder.
- Requires the Division of Family and Children Services to train regional directors, case managers, healthcare providers, and caregivers on autism spectrum disorder, which can be delivered online.
- Directs the program to start in three regional service areas and expand to additional regions each year until statewide.
- Requires the division to prioritize foster children already diagnosed with ADHD or reactive attachment disorder, or who are on psychotropic medications, for screenings and services.
- Requires annual written reports by July 1 to the Governor, legislative leaders, and relevant House and Senate committees on the program's progress.
- Sets the program to automatically repeal by law one year after the final report is submitted, and ties the whole program to available state funding.
### Who it affects
Children in foster care, especially those already diagnosed with ADHD or reactive attachment disorder or taking psychotropic medications, along with their foster parents, legal guardians, and kinship caregivers. Also affects Division of Family and Children Services staff, healthcare providers, and state officials who receive the required reports.
### Why it matters
If funded, foster children with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder could get earlier screening and clinical evaluation, and caseworkers and caregivers would receive new training on recognizing and responding to the condition. Because the program depends on legislative funding and automatically expires after its final report, its long-term reach is uncertain.
### Key provisions
- Subsection (a) defines key terms including autism spectrum disorder, caregiver, clinical evaluation, screening, and the division running the program.
- Subsection (b) makes the pilot program 'subject to appropriations,' meaning it only proceeds if the legislature funds it, and requires phased expansion from three regions to statewide coverage over five years.
- Subsection (b) directs the program to prioritize foster children already diagnosed with ADHD or reactive attachment disorder or prescribed psychotropic medications.
- Subsection (c) requires the division to plan for incremental expansion, communication strategies with caregivers, sufficient medical consultants, and dedicated staff.
- Subsection (d) requires annual written reports, starting after one year of operation, to the Governor, legislative leaders, and four specific legislative committees.
- Subsection (e) authorizes the division to create rules and regulations needed to run the pilot program.
- Subsection (f) automatically repeals the law by operation of law one year after the final report is submitted.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as upon the Governor's signature or the bill otherwise becoming law without signature.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Blake Tillery, Kay Kirkpatrick, Clint Dixon, Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte, Shawn Still, Matt Brass, Billy Hickman, Randy Robertson, Steve Gooch, Ricky Williams, Mike Hodges, Chuck Payne, Drew Echols, Jason T. Dickerson, Max Burns, Brian Strickland, Timothy Bearden, Sam Watson, Russ Goodman, Deborah Silcox
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72251
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,234 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402.md?full=1