ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D- Garden City) today announced that the Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 79, or the “Blind Bill,” on Tuesday, March 5. This measure would prevent government agencies and local authorities from discriminating against parents and legal guardians who are blind.
“This bill is for the more than 202,000 blind Georgians who will now be treated equally under the law and have the right to parent their children,” said Rep. Gilliard. “Our blind citizens face unfair societal biases that deny children the opportunity to enjoy loving homes with the families where they belong. It is time to include these citizens under the same basic rights that protect other parents in Georgia.”
House Bill 79 seeks to protect the best interests of children that are parented by blind individuals. This bill would prevent courts, the Department of Human Services and any child-placing agency from denying child placement, custody, visitation, guardianship or adoption to an individual because the individual is blind. Further, the bill would mandate that the Department of Human Services circulate and implement these new rules throughout the state by the end of the year.
For more information on HB 79, please click here.
To view video footage of Rep. Gilliard presenting HB 79, please click here.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, and on the Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, State Properties and Transportation committees. He is also a member of the Working Group on Creative Arts & Entertainment.
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