HB 1396: State government; require certain privately funded organizations that operate a shelter or provide outreach services to homeless individuals participate in the Georgia Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

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Discussed in meetings (13)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 23, 2026

   From 0:48:06 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1396 would require certain privately funded homelessness service organizations in Fulton County to use the Georgia Homeless Management Information System. The sponsor said organizations receiving government funding already use the system, and broader reporting would improve service coordination, grant data and tracking ahead of the World Cup. The sponsor said the existing system meant there would be no additional state cost. A committee member asked whether a noncriminal citation for noncompliance would carry a fine. The sponsor said enforcement could involve an ordinance-type citation but expected warnings directing organizations to register their activity. Another member asked how tracking would help people and affect warming and cooling shelters. The sponsor said reporting could help identify population shifts when shelters open and improve use of public funding. The committee approved a do-pass motion by voice vote.

2. House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 1:27:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1396 would provide for tracking unsheltered homeless individuals in the Homeless Management Information System through Atlanta-area organizations not currently receiving government money. The presenter reported no opposition in committee or otherwise known to the presenter. No questions or scheduling decision followed.

3. House floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26, PM)

   From 4:53:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1757

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1396 would require certain privately funded homelessness-service organizations in Atlanta to enter service information in the Georgia Homeless Management Information System. The clerk described coverage within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, playgrounds or certain childcare facilities. The sponsor said government-funded providers already report and argued that adding private providers would improve service tracking. Asked why the bill was limited geographically, the sponsor said Atlanta had a greater need and a statewide requirement might capture charities unfamiliar with the system. Another member asked about registration, training and provider counts. The sponsor said organizations would register through the Department of Community Affairs and enter services, but did not know how many private providers participated. Asked about local consultation, the sponsor said they had not personally spoken with local officials but understood communication had occurred and had heard no opposition. Another member questioned imposing an Atlanta-specific solution without that collaboration. The sponsor defended statewide oversight of spending on homelessness. The House passed the bill 105-50.

4. House Rules Committee, March 3, 2026

   From 0:05:23 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1743

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee agreed to place HB 1396 on the day's second supplemental calendar under modified structure. The motion was made and seconded, and no opposition was heard. There was no discussion of the bill's contents.

5. Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 16, 2026

   From 0:20:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1396 would require privately funded shelters and outreach organizations operating within 1,000 feet of specified public facilities in Atlanta to report services and recipients through the Homeless Management Information System. The sponsor said better data would help coordinate services and assess public spending. Several members questioned the Atlanta-only scope, costs, consultation with the city, police citations, and government requirements on churches. The sponsor said the obligation would fall on organizations, not the city, churches would be covered, and violations would receive noncriminal citations. The sponsor said Atlanta had been contacted and no objection was known, but Central Presbyterian had not been consulted. The sponsor defended the narrow scope as an incremental rollout and cited concerns about uncoordinated outreach, safety and trash. Supportive members said existing counts were incomplete and better data could identify unmet needs, duplicated services and program results. Other members remained concerned about burdens on charitable work and how the data would be used. An amendment to expand the requirement statewide failed 4-6. The committee recommended passage 6-4. A member then called for a minority report.

6. Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026

   From 0:30:19 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1396 would expand reporting to the Homeless Management Information System to include privately funded nonprofit organizations serving unsheltered people in a limited area of Atlanta. The presenter said the database currently received information from organizations receiving state funds, and broader reporting would help assess service quality and whether people received needed help. No substantive questions were asked. The chair later briefly revisited the bill but took no vote.

7. Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)

   From 6:19:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Tabled)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1396 would require covered privately funded homelessness-service providers near schools, parks and childcare facilities in Atlanta to use the state's homelessness information system. The sponsor called it a pilot to coordinate resources and track needs, with noncriminal citations for violations. Asked about funding, the sponsor clarified with another member that participation would make providers eligible, not guarantee funding. One opponent questioned small groups' administrative capacity and police issuing citations. A second said the bill offered no housing or treatment solution and proposed transporting people lacking services to Mulberry at that city's expense. Another member, drawing on church outreach work, supported the database but argued mandatory participation would burden religious service and produce unreliable data from untrained volunteers. That member proposed voluntary participation. An unrelated amendment concerning unlawful-employment-practice claims against the General Assembly passed without objection. The Mulberry amendment failed 17-33, and voluntary participation failed 20-29. After voting 32-17 to end debate, the Senate passed the bill as amended 33-17.

8. House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, PM, part 1)

   From 3:33:58 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1396, originally about homelessness data, had become an education package through amendment AM490335. The presenter described provisions covering cursive instruction, financial and digital literacy, college and career academy access for home and private school students, bleeding-control kits, weapon detection systems, a Charter School Facilities Authority, and coordinated school emergency alerts. One member asked why sexual harassment disclosure language was absent. The presenter said that issue would be handled separately in HB 1247. Members questioned adding the charter facilities authority without separate floor debate, its relationship to school safety, costs, oversight and effects on public schools. Another member raised concerns about an unfunded weapon detection requirement and an undefined reference to main entrances. The presenter said the authority language had passed the Appropriations Committee without opposition, to the presenter's recollection. The presiding chair said the authority could receive public appropriations and federal and private grants. The presenter also cited $166 million in school safety funding in both chambers' proposed budgets. The House adopted the amendment and agreed to the amended Senate substitute, 93 to 75.

• Read aloud: House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:33:43
• Read aloud: House floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:45:29
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27), 0:45:10
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:31:21
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:48:42

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