Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HR319 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 112 3018
2	2	House Resolution 319
3	3	By: Representatives Schofield of the 63
4	4	rd
5	5	, Dubnik of the 29
6	6	th
7	7	, Rice of the 139
8	8	th
9	9	, Davis of the
10	10	87
11	11	th
12	12	, Scott of the 76
13	13	th
14	14	, and others
15	15	A RESOLUTION
16	16	Recognizing February 19, 2025, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol to recognize
17	17	1
18	18	the power of reading to young children every day; and for other purposes.2
19	19	WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read's early literacy intervention began in 1989 at Boston3
20	20	Medical Center and has expanded to 50 states, serving 5.7 million families today. Georgia's4
21	21	affiliate office launched in 2012 and now serves 194,258 children and families in 81 counties5
22	22	at 208 hospitals, pediatric practices, clinics, and home visiting program sites with 1086
23	23	medical sites that have applications in progress to become Reach Out and Read sites; and7
24	24	WHEREAS, over 1,000 medical providers and staff have been trained in the evidence based8
25	25	early literacy intervention program of Reach Out and Read Georgia, offering each child an9
26	26	opportunity to be read to and to learn to read; and10
27	27	WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has trained 36,000 pediatricians and medical providers11
28	28	who prescribe reading as a daily activity during wellness checkups; and12
29	29	WHEREAS, over the past 12 months, 388,516 well child checkups (engaging approximately13
30	30	194,258 children and families) were conducted across Georgia with pediatricians and14
31	31	providers implementing the Reach Out and Read program; and15
32	32	H. R. 319
33	33	- 1 - 25 LC 112 3018
34	34	WHEREAS, in that same time, 289,422 new children's books were distributed through the
35	35	16
36	36	program's pediatric network to children aged five years old and younger; and17
37	37	WHEREAS, since the program's inception, over 2.7 million new children's books have been18
38	38	given to young children in Georgia by pediatric providers beginning at the very first newborn19
39	39	visit through a child's fifth birthday, and children in the program demonstrate a six-month20
40	40	developmental edge compared to children not enrolled in the program when arriving at21
41	41	kindergarten; and22
42	42	WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read is the only early literacy intervention endorsed by the23
43	43	American Academy of Pediatrics and has the most extensive body of research supporting the24
44	44	efficacy of the program model with 26 studies supporting its work; and25
45	45	WHEREAS, pediatricians prescribe reading as a daily activity and parents take these26
46	46	prescriptions to heart, increasing social and emotional bonds with their children while27
47	47	increasing their exposure to positive interactions and creating special, meaningful moments;28
48	48	and29
49	49	WHEREAS, positive emotional bonding between a parent and child has been demonstrated30
50	50	to help mitigate the damaging effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES); and31
51	51	WHEREAS, pediatric offices implementing Reach Out and Read have cited an increase in32
52	52	wellness visit compliance during the earliest years of life, a time when most immunizations33
53	53	occur; and34
54	54	H. R. 319
55	55	- 2 - 25 LC 112 3018
56	56	WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has the ability to serve as the intersection of education and
57	57	35
58	58	healthcare, offering unprecedented access to the pediatric community, children, and families;36
59	59	and37
60	60	WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read Georgia will provide quality, diverse, and developmentally38
61	61	and linguistically appropriate books in 30 languages to medical sites across Georgia; and39
62	62	WHEREAS, 1,500 medical providers and staff implement the Reach Out and Read Georgia40
63	63	program every day across the state, offering each child an opportunity to be read to and to41
64	64	learn to read; and42
65	65	WHEREAS, medical providers prescribe reading at every wellness visit beginning at birth43
66	66	through age five.44
67	67	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that45
68	68	the members of this body commend the efforts of Reach Out and Read to give young46
69	69	children a foundation for success by incorporating books into the existing pediatric care47
70	70	infrastructure, encourage families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day, and48
71	71	recognize February 19, 2025, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol.49
72	72	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized50
73	73	and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Reach51
74	74	Out and Read Georgia.52
75	75	H. R. 319
76	76	- 3 -