HB1402: HB1402 Education; vision and hearing screening for all public school students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through third grade; require

Georgia law does not currently require public schools to screen young students for vision and hearing problems. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's education code requiring every public school to screen students in pre-kindergarten through third grade for vision and hearing issues. Parents would get advance written notice of screenings and could opt their child out, but prior written permission would not be required. Schools must tell parents if their child fails a screening. Schools would report detailed screening results to the Department of Public Health within 30 days, and that department would report the statewide data to the General Assembly each year and train school staff to run the screenings. Subject to state funding being appropriated, local school systems could get a one-time grant of up to $15,000 to buy screening equipment, administered by the Department of Education. Separately, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, schools would have to notify parents in writing if their child has not reached grade-level reading proficiency by third grade.

• Requires all Georgia public schools to screen pre-K through third grade students for vision and hearing problems, run by trained school staff or a qualified third-party organization.
• Lets parents opt their child out of the screening but does not require advance written consent to screen; requires advance written notice of the screening time and place.
• Requires schools to notify parents if their child fails a vision or hearing screening, and to report detailed pass/fail/referral data to the Department of Public Health within 30 days.
• Directs the Department of Public Health to train screening staff, report statewide data to the legislature each year by December 1, and write rules for how screenings are conducted.
• Creates a one-time grant of up to $15,000 per local school system, subject to available state funding, to buy vision and hearing screening equipment, administered by the Department of Education.
• Requires schools, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, to send parents written notice if their child has not reached grade-level reading proficiency by the end of third grade.

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through third grade and their parents or guardians, local school systems and other public schools that must run the screenings and report data, and the Department of Public Health and Department of Education, which oversee training, rules, and grant funding.

Vision and hearing problems that go undetected can affect how young children learn to read and interact in class. This bill would create a statewide screening system with data reporting and dedicated funding for equipment, while also flagging reading struggles to parents earlier through mandatory written notice.

• New Code Section 20-2-770.1 requires vision and hearing screenings for all pre-K through third grade public school students, administered at the school by trained staff or a third-party organization.
• Parents get advance written notice of screening time and place and can opt their child out; prior consent is not otherwise required, but parents must be told if their child fails a screening.
• Schools must report detailed screening statistics (numbers screened, passed, failed, referred, treated, opted out) to the Department of Public Health within 30 days of each screening.
• The Department of Public Health must train screening personnel, report statewide data to the General Assembly by December 1 each year, and adopt rules with the State Board of Education.
• A one-time grant of up to $15,000 per local school system is available, subject to appropriations, to buy vision and hearing screening equipment meeting specified technical standards; the Department of Education administers the grants.
• Section 2 adds Code Section 20-2-153.2, requiring written notice to parents starting in the 2026-2027 school year if a child has not achieved grade-level reading proficiency by third grade.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
3. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-26House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
5. 2026-02-24House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-02-20House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)Primary sponsor
• Jon Burns (R, HD-159)
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   172 yea, 1 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #607

• school health screenings
• vision and hearing screening
• early childhood education
• reading proficiency
• school funding