HB691: HB691 Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency; create Georgia Resilience Office

Georgia currently has no single office dedicated to coordinating statewide planning for disasters and long-term resilience. This bill amends Title 38 of Georgia's code to create the Georgia Resilience Office, housed inside the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, and gives it the job of coordinating disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and resilience programs across state, local, and federal agencies. The office would be run by a 13-member board that includes several state agency heads or their designees, local government representatives appointed by the Governor, and legislators appointed by the House Speaker and Senate President. The board would hire a chief resilience officer to run day-to-day operations. The bill requires a first statewide resilience plan by December 31, 2026, covering flood, wildfire, drought, and heat risks, with the plan updated every two years and progress reported to the General Assembly at least annually.

• Creates the Georgia Resilience Office as a new entity attached to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency for operations.
• Establishes a 13-member board of directors, including state agency heads, local government representatives, and legislators, to govern the office.
• Requires the office to write a statewide resilience plan covering disaster risks like flooding, wildfire, drought, and extreme heat, due by December 31, 2026, and updated every two years.
• Creates the position of chief resilience officer, nominated by the board chair and approved by the board, to run the office and hire staff.
• Authorizes the office to accept and spend federal, private, and other funds for disaster recovery and resilience work, and to give grants to universities and local governments for related research.
• Requires the office to report to the General Assembly at least once a year on its progress.

State agencies such as the Department of Community Affairs, Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources, and State Forestry Commission; county and municipal governments; members of the General Assembly who serve on the board; and Georgians in areas at risk from flooding, wildfire, drought, or extreme heat.

If enacted, Georgia would gain a dedicated office and a formal statewide plan for preparing for and recovering from disasters, potentially changing how state and local governments coordinate funding, infrastructure protection, and emergency response for events like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods.

• Code Section 38-3-202 establishes the Georgia Resilience Office within the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and lists its duties, including coordinating disaster recovery and hazard mitigation across agencies.
• The statewide resilience plan must assess risks by region, evaluate infrastructure vulnerability, identify data gaps, and prioritize resilience actions with cost and timeline estimates, due by December 31, 2026.
• Section 38-3-202(c) sets the board's 13 members, including agency heads or designees, one county and one municipal representative appointed by the Governor, two House members appointed by the Speaker, and two Senate members appointed by the President of the Senate.
• Board terms are initially two years, with appointments made by December 1, 2025, and later terms lasting four years; the board must meet at least quarterly.
• Code Section 38-3-203 creates a chief resilience officer position, nominated by the board chair and approved by the board, who hires staff and coordinates resilience planning and reporting.
• The chief resilience officer must update the resilience plan at least every two years and report progress to the General Assembly at least annually.
• The office may accept federal and private funds, issue grants to universities and local governments for resilience research, and enter cooperative agreements with governments and private entities.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting state laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-04House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-03-03House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-28House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-28House Hopper (House)

• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)Primary sponsor
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
• Kimberly New (R, HD-040)
• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)

• disaster preparedness
• emergency management
• climate resilience
• state government agencies
• hazard mitigation