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Georgia Senate unanimously passes SB 402 to expand autism screenings for children in foster care
Summary
SB 402, identified by the clerk as sponsored by Senator Tillery, would expand a prior $451,000 Region 12 autism pilot to three additional regions, creating a $1.5 million pilot for screenings, clinical evaluations and training for children in foster care; the Senate adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill unanimously (48–0).
The Georgia Senate on Feb. 6 adopted a committee substitute and passed Senate Bill 402, a measure to establish a pilot program providing autism screenings, clinical evaluations, training, services and resources for children in foster care.
The clerk identified the bill as sponsored by Senator Tillery. A senator speaking on the floor described the measure as a replication of a prior $451,000 pilot in Region 12 that identified higher rates of autism among children in foster care and provided diagnosis and early supports. “What we saw ... in Region 12, the number of children with autism in foster care is six times greater than the regular population,” the floor speaker said, describing the previous pilot’s diagnostic work and cost-savings rationale. The floor explanation framed the bill as a $1.5 million proposal to test expansion in three additional regions before a broader roll-out.
Senator Kirkpatrick (chair, Senate Committee on Children and Families) noted the committee recommended the substitute and answered procedural questions on the floor. The committee substitute was adopted without objection and the bill passed on a recorded vote: ayes 48, nays 0.
The measure directs the Division of Family and Children Services within the Department of Human Services to develop and implement the pilot, provide a final report and recommendations, and provides for automatic repeal and other implementation details as set out in the bill caption read on the floor. The Senate did not record amendments during the floor action; the committee substitute was accepted.
Next steps include implementation and reporting by DFCS as described in the bill text; no effective date or appropriation schedule beyond the pilot funding was detailed during floor remarks.
