---
title: SR 581. Reach Out and Read Day; recognize January 27, 2026
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr581
cite_as: SR 581, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr581
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr581.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr581/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72281
date: 2026-01-16
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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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr582.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 94
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr581.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 581
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-01-16
last_action: Senate Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Billy Hickman
  - Clint Dixon
  - Freddie Sims
  - Timothy Bearden
  - Donzella James
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR581/2025
upstream_id: 2083465
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - early childhood literacy
  - pediatric health
  - Georgia Senate resolutions
  - children's books
  - child development
---

# SR 581. Reach Out and Read Day; recognize January 27, 2026

## Text

Senate Resolution 581
By: Senators Hickman of the 4th, Dixon of the 45th, Sims of the 12th, Bearden of the 30th
and James of the 28th
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing January 27, 2026, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol to recognize
the power of reading to young children every day; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read's early literacy intervention began in 1989 at Boston
Medical Center and has expanded to 50 states, serving 5.7 million families today. Georgia's
affiliate office launched in 2012 and now serves 194,258 children and families in 81 counties
at 208 hospitals, pediatric practices, clinics, and home visiting program sites with 108
medical sites that have applications in progress to become Reach Out and Read sites; and
WHEREAS, over 1,000 medical providers and staff have been trained in evidence based,
early literacy intervention programs of the Reach Out and Read Georgia program, offering
each child an opportunity to be read to and to learn to read; and
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has trained 36,000 pediatricians and medical providers
who prescribe reading as a daily activity during wellness checkups; and
WHEREAS, over the past 12 months, 388,516 well child checkups (approximately 194,258
children and families) were conducted across Georgia with pediatricians and providers
implementing the Reach Out and Read program; and
WHEREAS, in that same time, 289,422 new children's books were distributed through the
program's pediatric network to children aged five years old and younger; and
WHEREAS, since the program began, over 2.7 million new children's books have been given
to young children in Georgia by pediatric providers beginning at the very first newborn visit
through a child's fifth birthday, and children in the program demonstrate a six-month
developmental edge compared to children not enrolled in the program when arriving at
kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read is the only early literacy intervention endorsed by the
American Academy of Pediatrics and has the most extensive body of research supporting the
efficacy of the program model with 26 studies supporting its work; and
WHEREAS, pediatricians prescribe reading as a daily activity and parents take these
prescriptions to heart, increasing social and emotional bonds with their children while
increasing their exposure to positive interactions and creating special, meaningful moments;
and
WHEREAS, positive emotional bonding between a parent and child has been demonstrated
to help mitigate the damaging effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES); and
WHEREAS, pediatric offices implementing Reach Out and Read have cited an increase in
wellness visit compliance during the earliest years of life, a time when most immunizations
occur; and
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has the ability to serve as the intersection of education and
healthcare, offering unprecedented access to the pediatric community, children, and families;
and
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read Georgia will provide quality, diverse, and developmentally
and linguistically appropriate books in 30 languages to medical sites across Georgia; and
WHEREAS, medical providers and staff implement the Reach Out and Read Georgia
program every day across the state, offering each child an opportunity to be read to and to
learn to read; and
WHEREAS, medical providers prescribe reading at every wellness visit beginning at birth
through age five.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that 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, encourage families in
Georgia to read aloud together each and every day, and recognize January 27, 2026, as Reach
Out and Read Day at the state capitol.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Reach Out and
Read Georgia.

## 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 Senate resolution designates January 27, 2026, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol, honoring a pediatric early literacy program active across Georgia.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution from the Georgia Senate recognizes January 27, 2026, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol. It does not change any law, create funding, or impose requirements. Instead, it formally commends Reach Out and Read Georgia, a program that trains pediatricians and medical staff to give children's books to young patients and encourage parents to read aloud daily during wellness checkups.
The resolution cites the program's history, noting it began in Boston in 1989 and launched in Georgia in 2012, now reaching over 194,000 children and families across 81 counties. It describes research showing benefits like improved kindergarten readiness and stronger parent-child bonding. The Senate directs its Secretary to send a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia as a formal acknowledgment.

### What it does

- Designates January 27, 2026, as Reach Out and Read Day at the Georgia state capitol.
- Formally commends Reach Out and Read Georgia for integrating children's books into pediatric care visits statewide.
- Encourages Georgia families to read aloud together every day.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia.

### Who it affects

The resolution mainly recognizes Reach Out and Read Georgia, its affiliated pediatricians, medical staff, and the families and children served through the program's clinics, hospitals, and home visiting sites across 81 Georgia counties.

### Why it matters

While the resolution carries no legal force or funding, it publicly highlights a pediatric literacy program many Georgia families already encounter during wellness visits, and may raise awareness of early childhood reading efforts among medical providers and lawmakers.

### Key provisions

- The resolution recites background on Reach Out and Read's founding in 1989 and its expansion to Georgia in 2012, now serving 194,258 children and families.
- It cites statistics on books distributed, well-child checkups conducted, and provider training over the past year.
- The Senate resolves to commend the program and encourage daily family reading.
- The Senate designates January 27, 2026, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol.
- The Secretary of the Senate is directed to distribute a copy of the resolution to Reach Out and Read Georgia.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-01-16)
- Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-01-16)
- Sponsors: Billy Hickman, Clint Dixon, Freddie Sims, Timothy Bearden, Donzella James
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72281

> The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr581.md?full=1