HB 730: Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless; provide for membership

House Bill 730 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

By: Representatives Petrea of the 166th, Stephens of the 164th, Hitchens of the 161st, Gilliard of the 162nd, and Jackson of the 165th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend an Act creating the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, approved March 30, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4701), as amended, so as to provide for membership; to provide for meetings; to provide for purposes; to provide for definitions; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

An Act creating the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, approved March 30, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4701), as amended, is amended by revising subsection (d) of Section 2 as follows:

"(d) It is further found that such a public authority should provide the operational duties of the CoC as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and coordinate and assist public and private entities in implementing the homeless management information system, developing a comprehensive coordinated entry system, leading the annual point in time count efforts, serving as the CoC collaborative applicant, and managing and assisting with the notice of funding opportunity process, including the preparation and final submission of the community collaborative application. The authority is the collaborative applicant for the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah."

SECTION 2.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 3 as follows: "SECTION 3.

Definitions.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this Act, the term:

(1) 'Authority' means the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless created by this Act.

(2) 'CoC' means the group of individuals and agencies that carry out the responsibility of planning a community's response to those persons experiencing homelessness.

(3) 'Collaborative applicant' means that agency designated to meet all U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements under 24 C.F.R. Part 578.

(4) 'Coordinated entry' means a systemwide process that quickly and equitably coordinates the access, assessment, and prioritization and referrals to housing and emergency services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. This centralized process transforms a CoC into a fully integrated crisis response system.

(5) 'Homeless' means being without or expecting within 30 days to be without sleeping accommodations which meet health and safety standards and includes such factors as unemployment, underemployment, substance abuse, mental illness, or other conditions as determined by the authority which cause or contribute to causing the state of being homeless.

(6) 'Homeless management information system' means the platform or software that is used to collect jurisdictional data and report the same to the Department of Community Affairs.

(7) 'Notice of funding opportunity' mean those notices provided to local governments and communities by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development."

SECTION 3.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 5 as follows: "SECTION 5.

Membership.

(a)(1) The authority shall be governed by a board of directors that is composed of 13 members as follows:

(A) Two members shall be appointed by the City Council;

(B) Two members shall be appointed by the County Commission; and

(C) The remaining nine members shall be selected as provided for in subsection (a) of Section 6 of this Act.

(2) One member shall presently be experiencing or in the past shall have experienced homelessness.

(3) All members shall be appointed for a three-year term. In no event shall any member serve more than two consecutive, three-year terms of office.

(b) All members shall be residents of Chatham County.

(c) Members shall receive no compensation.

(d) The board may remove any member by a majority vote of the full membership if the member fails to carry out the duties and responsibilities required of members by this Act. Said process for removal shall be outlined in by-laws of the organization.

(e) There shall be a chair of the board whose duties shall be outlined in the bylaws of the authority. In addition to all other duties, powers, and responsibilities, the chair shall serve on the board of the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah."

SECTION 4.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 6 as follows: "SECTION 6.

Organization; meetings.

(a) The chair of the board shall call an organizational meeting after the City of Savannah and Chatham County have each appointed its respective representatives, but no later than 45 days after this Act, as amended in 2025, becomes effective. At that meeting, the chair of the board along with the appointees of the County and City and the executive committee shall select the remaining board members. All directors other than the executive committee serving prior to the effective date of the 2025 amendment of this Act shall cease to be directors upon such amendment becoming effective. The chair shall continue to serve for two years as chair after the 2025 amendment of this Act becomes effective.

(b) All acts of the board must be approved by a majority of the quorum of the board. The board shall require at least 40 percent membership to have a quorum.

(c) The board shall meet no less than six times a year and shall also have an additional annual meeting.

(d) The authority shall prepare and submit to the appointing bodies, including the City of Savannah, Chatham County, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah, an annual report each year upon completion of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development required annual point in time count. Such report shall make available the latest independent audit of the authority."

SECTION 5.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 7 as follows: "SECTION 7.

Purposes.

(a) To provide all data, insights, and other information to the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah to use in developing, and amending from time to time, a comprehensive plan for public and private agencies to effectively provide services for persons experiencing homelessness.

(b) To coordinate, evaluate, and provide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development required operations of the CoC and support the implementation and carrying out of the comprehensive plan developed by the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah.

(c) To contract with public and private agencies for the purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this section and for such public and private agencies to provide programs and services to persons experiencing homelessness in order to carry out the provisions of the comprehensive plan developed by the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah.

(d) To offer services, including administration and implementation of a homeless management information system, coordinated entry, leading the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development required annual point in time count, submission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development notice of funding opportunity community application, coordination of the local notice of funding opportunity competition, street outreach, encampment engagement, case management, crisis intervention and referral, housing, and other related services to persons experiencing homelessness."

SECTION 6.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.