HB797: HB797 Homelessness Prevention Act of Chatham County; enact

Chatham County and the City of Savannah currently rely on a federally required 'continuum of care' network to coordinate homeless services, previously overseen informally alongside the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless. This bill formally creates the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah as a state-recognized public corporation with its own board, powers, and legal protections. The council would be governed by a 21-member board including city and county managers, agency heads, state department representatives, and members of the public, including someone who has experienced homelessness. It sets three-year board terms, a general public membership open to anyone living or working in Chatham County, and broad powers to contract, own property, accept grants, and sue or be sued. The council is exempt from property taxes and lawsuits against it must be filed in Chatham County Superior Court. The bill repeals any conflicting laws upon passage.

• Creates the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah as a public corporation and instrumentality of the state, separate from any prior entity.
• Establishes a 21-member governing board with defined seats for city and county officials, state agency representatives, and public members, serving three-year terms.
• Grants the council broad legal powers, including contracting, owning and leasing property, accepting federal and private grants, and suing or being sued like a private corporation.
• Exempts the council's property, activities, and income from state and local taxes and assessments.
• Requires lawsuits against the council to be filed exclusively in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
• Directs the board to act as trustees and keep financial records, requiring an independent audit if the council receives or spends money without a fiscal agent.

The bill affects Chatham County and Savannah government officials, the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, several state agencies (including Corrections, Public Health, Labor, and Community Affairs), local nonprofits serving homeless residents, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the region.

By giving the council formal legal status, taxing power exemptions, and defined authority, the bill aims to centralize planning, funding applications, and data systems for homeless services in Chatham County, potentially affecting how quickly and efficiently federal housing assistance reaches local providers and residents.

• Section 4 creates the council as a body corporate and politic, an instrumentality of the state with governmental and proprietary powers, separate from prior entities.
• Section 5 sets the 21-member board composition, including city and county managers, agency heads, and public members, with three-year terms and a two-term limit.
• Section 6 establishes general membership open to anyone living or working in Chatham County, representing homeless service sectors and consumer interests.
• Section 7 lists the council's powers, including contracting, property transactions up to 50-year leases, accepting grants, and suing or being sued.
• Section 8 requires the board to act as trustees, maintain financial records, and undergo an independent audit under certain conditions.
• Section 9 declares the council a purely public charity performing an essential governmental function and exempts it from taxes and assessments.
• Section 10 designates the Superior Court of Chatham County as the exclusive venue for lawsuits against the council.
• Section 12 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-01Effective Date 2025-05-01
2. 2025-05-01Act 50
3. 2025-05-01House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2025

   164 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #317

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #339

• homelessness services
• Chatham County government
• public corporations
• Savannah housing
• local government agencies