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Committee approves bill requiring water‑safety video for new mothers before hospital discharge
Summary
Lawmakers approved a bill directing the Department of Public Health to provide a no‑cost drowning‑prevention video to hospitals for presentation to new mothers before discharge; supporters said the measure aims to reduce drowning deaths among young children.
A House committee gave a due‑pass recommendation to House Bill 471 (LC 570251S), which would require hospitals to present a water‑safety and drowning‑prevention video to new mothers before discharge.
Representative Chokas, the bill’s author, said the measure is designed to prevent childhood drownings by providing educational material to parents at the time of a newborn’s hospital discharge. The bill directs the Department of Public Health to prepare the video in collaboration with the nonprofit Every Child a Swimmer and to provide it at no charge to hospitals.
Chokas cited national and state statistics, saying drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 through 4 and the second leading cause for children up to age 14; those figures were attributed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the hearing. The substitute language clarifies language around language access and opt‑out options for parents, and hospital representatives said they had worked with the author to ensure compliance with hospital workflow and language needs.
Anna Adams of the Georgia Hospital Association told the committee hospitals can comply and that the substitute addresses earlier questions about language barriers and forms; she confirmed parents would be able to opt out. The bill specifies that the video would be educational and not graphic.
Supporters noted Every Child a Swimmer will provide resources and low‑ or no‑cost scholarship options for swim lessons; the nonprofit’s executive director, Casey McGovern, and the Edna May McGovern Act (a prior 2023 bill) were discussed as background on the group’s work.
The committee voted by voice vote to give the bill a due‑pass recommendation; members answered “aye” and no opposing voice was recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: the bill advances with committee approval. The committee record does not show any direct costs to hospitals or to the department for producing the video; the substitute states the video will be provided at no charge to hospitals.
