HB 607: Public Health, Department of; two-year pilot program for home visiting in homes of children with asthma; provisions

Georgia law does not currently set up a state-run home visiting program focused on asthma triggers in children's homes. House Bill 607 would add a new section to Georgia's public health code directing the Department of Public Health to create and run a two-year pilot program. Trained home visitors would go into the homes of children with asthma, assess the environment for common triggers like mold, dust, or pests, and give families recommendations to reduce exposure. The department would set training and supervision requirements for home visitors, develop standard home assessment tools, provide administrative and technical support, and evaluate the program's results using both qualitative and quantitative measures. The department must file a detailed report each year, due first by June 30, 2026, to the Governor, top legislative leaders, and relevant health committees. The pilot program and the new Code section would automatically end and repeal on June 30, 2028.

• Creates a new two-year pilot program inside the Department of Public Health for home visits focused on asthma triggers in children's homes.
• Requires the department to set training and supervision standards for the home visitors who conduct these assessments.
• Requires the department to develop standardized home environment assessments to identify and document asthma triggers and remediation steps.
• Requires annual written reports to the Governor, legislative leaders, and health committees starting no later than June 30, 2026, including recommendations on making the program permanent.
• Automatically terminates the pilot program and repeals the new Code section on June 30, 2028.

Families and children with asthma who could receive home visits, the Department of Public Health staff who must design and run the program, home visitors who will need new training and supervision, and legislative leaders and health committees who will receive the required reports.

Families with asthmatic children could get direct, in-home help identifying triggers like mold, pests, or dust that worsen asthma, potentially reducing symptoms and hospital visits. Because the program is temporary and ends in 2028 unless renewed, its long-term availability depends on future legislative action based on the required evaluation reports.

• New Code section 31-2A-19.1(a) directs the Department of Public Health to develop and run a two-year home visiting pilot program focused on asthma trigger assessment and education.
• Subsection (b)(1) requires the department to set training and minimum supervision requirements for home visitors.
• Subsection (b)(2) requires development of home environment assessments to identify asthma triggers and document mitigation steps.
• Subsection (b)(3) requires administrative and technical assistance, including help with data collection for program evaluation.
• Subsection (b)(4) requires establishing measures and ongoing evaluations of the program's impact using qualitative and quantitative measures.
• Subsection (c) requires an annual written report starting no later than June 30, 2026, to the Governor, House Speaker, Senate President, and relevant health committee chairs, with the final report recommending whether to expand or make the program permanent.
• Subsection (d) sets the pilot program to terminate and the Code section to automatically repeal on June 30, 2028.

1. 2025-02-27House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-02-26House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-24House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Marvin Lim (D, HD-098)Patrocinador principal
• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)

• asthma
• public health
• home visiting programs
• children's health
• Department of Public Health