Georgia CommonsHB 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)
Last action April 2, 2026 · House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended
A Georgia House bill would require privately funded homeless shelters and outreach programs near schools, parks, playgrounds, or child care centers in the metro Atlanta area to join a statewide homeless services data system, with citations for noncompliance.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia currently has a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) that tracks services provided to homeless individuals, but privately funded shelters and outreach programs are not required to participate in it. This bill would create a new requirement in the Department of Community Affairs' governing law: any privately funded organization that runs a shelter or provides outreach services (defined as medical care, clothing, food, or shelter) within 1,000 feet of a school, college, child care center, public park, or playground would have to sign up as an authorizing agency in the HMIS. Owners or operators who do not comply could be issued a noncriminal citation by a law enforcement officer. The requirement would not apply to small organizations that served fewer than ten people in the past year, and it would only apply to properties within a ten-mile radius of a large multi-county city that levies a transit sales tax and has an independent school system, effectively limiting the bill's reach to the metro Atlanta area.
What the bill does
- Requires privately funded shelters and outreach programs near schools, colleges, child care centers, parks, and playgrounds to join the state's Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as authorizing agencies.
- Creates a noncriminal citation penalty issued by law enforcement for organizations that fail to comply.
- Exempts small organizations that served fewer than ten individuals through outreach, employment, or social services in the prior 12 months.
- Limits the entire requirement to properties within ten miles of a large multi-county municipality with a transit sales tax and an independent school system, which targets the metro Atlanta area.
- States legislative findings about the state's interest in coordinated, data-driven oversight of homelessness services funded by taxpayer money.
Who it affects
Privately funded organizations that run homeless shelters or provide outreach services like food, clothing, medical care, or shelter, particularly those operating near schools, colleges, child care centers, parks, or playgrounds in the metro Atlanta area. Also affects local law enforcement, who would issue citations, and homeless individuals who receive services from these organizations.
Why it matters
Homeless service providers near schools and parks in metro Atlanta would face a new legal obligation to share client data through a shared statewide tracking system, backed by citations for noncompliance. This could change how smaller nonprofits operate and how their services are monitored, while very small operations remain exempt.
Key provisions
- Section 1 lays out legislative findings about the state's interest in coordinated, accountable, and data-driven homeless services in metro Atlanta.
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 50-8-19, defining 'outreach services' as medical care, clothing, food, or shelter.
- Subsection (b) requires covered organizations within 1,000 feet of schools, colleges, child care centers, parks, or playgrounds to participate in the HMIS as authorizing agencies, with noncriminal citations for violations.
- Subsection (c) exempts organizations that served fewer than ten individuals in outreach, employment, or social services during the prior 12 months.
- Subsection (d) limits the law's applicability to properties within a ten-mile radius of a multi-county municipality with a transit sales tax and an independent school system.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Each privately funded organization that operates a shelter or provides outreach services to homeless individuals within 1,000 feet in any direction of the property of an elementary or secondary school; university, college, or technical college; child care learning center”
“The owner or operator of any such organization that violates this subsection shall be issued a citation by a law enforcement officer for such violation and the violation shall be deemed noncriminal.”
Status timeline
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
Show full history (14 actions)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
- Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
- Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
Votes
- House voteMarch 3, 2026
105 yea, 58 nay (5 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
26 yea, 22 nay (3 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
32 yea, 17 nay (1 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
17 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
20 yea, 29 nay (1 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
33 yea, 17 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
93 yea, 75 nay (2 not voting, 6 absent)
Topics
- homelessness services
- metro Atlanta
- data tracking
- shelters and outreach
- school proximity laws