Bill Text: GA HB1159 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Joint Study Commission on Education for Parents with Newborn Children; create
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-05 - House Committee Favorably Reported [HB1159 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-HB1159-Comm_Sub.html
12 LC
33 4705S
The
House Committee on Health and Human Services offers the following substitute to
HB 1159:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to general provisions relating to health, so as to provide
for the creation of the Joint Commission on Education for Parents with Newborn
Children; to provide for its composition and duties; to provide for the
distribution of informational videos on health related topics by hospitals and
other health care facilities to mothers of newborn infants; to provide for a
definition; to provide that such requirement is contingent on available funding;
to provide for automatic repeal under certain conditions; 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.
Article
1 of Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to general provisions relating to health, is amended by adding new Code sections
to read as follows:
"31-1-14.
(a)
In order to reduce childhood obesity in our state, increase the quality of
health of Georgia's children, reduce health care costs, and educate parents of
newborn children, a Joint Commission on Education for Parents with Newborn
Children, hereinafter referred to as the 'commission,' shall be created. The
commission shall determine how best to gather information, raise funds, and
create or purchase one or more informational videos to provide information which
would assist parents in raising safe and healthy children, such as information
on the prevention of childhood obesity, the prevention of SIDS, and the
prevention of shaken baby syndrome and other forms of child abuse. Such video
or videos should contain a comprehensive resource guide with information, links
to websites, and contact information for state and local agencies and nonprofit
organizations that can assist parents in raising safe and healthy children.
Such video or videos should include information on proper nutrition for infants
and children, exercise needed for children, how to prevent abuse, and other
health related topics beneficial to the parents of a newborn child. The
commission may offer suggestions as to how the efficacy of such video or videos
can be evaluated and tracked. The commission shall study current laws and
policies in effect in other states that may assist in determining methods for
the creation and for measuring the efficacy of such video or videos. The
commission shall present a report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, and the Governor no later than December 31, 2012,
which shall include recommendations on how best to create the methods for
measuring the efficacy of such video or videos, how to raise the funds necessary
for their creation, and how to determine what information the video or videos
shall contain. The commission 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 the requirements of this Code section. The commission shall
conduct its first meeting no later than 45 days after the effective date of this
Code section. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
serving on the commission.
(b)(1)
The commission shall be composed as follows:
(A)
The Senate Committee on Assignments shall appoint two members of the Senate, one
of whom shall be a member of the minority party;
(B)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members of the
House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a member of the minority
party;
(C)
The commissioner of public health or his or her designee; and
(D)
The Governor, with input from the commissioner of public health, shall appoint
two members from the hospital industry, one obstetrician/gynecologist, one
pediatrician, one consumer, and other appropriate members with applicable
expertise as recommended by the commissioner of public health; provided,
however, that the total number of members of the commission shall not exceed 15
members.
(2)
The commissioner of public health shall serve as the chairperson of the
commission.
(c)(1)
As used in this subsection, the term 'health facility' means a hospital,
birthing center, or other health care facility where children are born on a
regular and ongoing basis.
(2)
Subject to available funding pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the
Department of Public Health shall distribute one or more informational videos
produced or purchased pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section in an
appropriate format to each health facility in this state. To the extent
feasible, each health facility shall provide an opportunity for each mother of a
newborn to view the video or videos while in the health facility. Each health
facility shall also provide a copy of such video or videos, as furnished by the
Department of Public Health, or, if funding is limited, a link to such video or
videos online, to the parent or parents of a newborn at the time of discharge
from the health facility. All information included in such video or videos
shall be approved by the Department of Public Health.
(3)
This subsection shall be subject to the availability of federal funds or private
donations received by the Department of Public Health for such
purposes.
(d)
If no federal funds or private donations are made available to the Department of
Public Health for the purposes of this Code section within two years from the
effective date of this Code section, this Code section shall stand repealed two
years after the effective date 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.
