SB 468: Sexual Offender Risk Review Board; reporting requirements of sexual offenders; increase

Georgia law already requires sexual offenders to register with local sheriffs and follow monitoring rules set by the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board. This bill expands those requirements. It adds a legal definition of 'homeless' for offenders without a fixed address, shortens the window homeless offenders have to report a new sleeping location from 72 to 36 hours, and lets the Department of Community Supervision fit homeless offenders with GPS tracking devices if they fail to report accurately or violate geographic restrictions, with a review every 90 days. It also requires offenders to report any homeless assistance provider's request for their registered status. The bill creates a new Code section requiring offenders to report planned international travel at least 21 days ahead, and to report any plan to live, work, or attend school outside the United States, with that information shared with federal authorities. Starting with convictions on or after July 1, 2026, certain sex crimes against victims under 12 or 14 would automatically place offenders in a higher risk classification, including 'sexually dangerous predator' status. Finally, state-funded stable housing accountability programs would have to screen applicants for sex offender status and report accepted offenders to local sheriffs.

• Adds a formal legal definition of 'homeless' and 'homelessness' for sexual offenders and applies geographic restrictions to those offenders.
• Shortens from 72 to 36 hours the time a homeless sexual offender has to report a change in sleeping location to the sheriff.
• Allows the Department of Community Supervision to fit homeless sex offenders on probation or parole with GPS tracking devices for failure to report accurately, with reassessment every 90 days.
• Requires sexual offenders to report planned international travel at least 21 days in advance and any plan to live, work, or attend school abroad, feeding that data into state and federal registries.
• Automatically places offenders convicted of specific crimes against child victims (starting July 1, 2026) into a Level II or 'sexually dangerous predator' risk classification.
• Requires state-funded stable housing accountability programs to ask applicants if they are registered sex offenders and report accepted offenders to the county sheriff.

Registered sexual offenders, especially those who are homeless, are directly affected, along with county sheriffs, the Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board. Stable housing accountability programs and their applicants, including homeless service providers, are also affected.

Homeless sexual offenders would face tighter reporting deadlines and possible GPS monitoring, while all offenders would need to disclose international travel plans well in advance. Offenders convicted of certain crimes against young children would face automatic higher-risk labeling, and housing programs would begin screening and reporting applicants who are registered offenders.

• Section 1 adds a definition of homelessness to Georgia's sex offender registry law (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12) and shortens the reporting window for changed sleeping locations from 72 to 36 hours.
• Section 1 also adds county jail release as a trigger for the 72-hour registration requirement and requires homeless offenders to comply with requests from homeless service providers for their registered status.
• Section 2 lets the Department of Community Supervision fit homeless offenders with GPS tracking devices for reporting failures or restriction violations, reviewed every 90 days (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13.1).
• Section 3 creates automatic Level II or 'sexually dangerous predator' classification for offenders convicted on or after July 1, 2026 of specified crimes against child victims (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-14).
• Section 4 creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-20) requiring offenders to report international travel 21 days ahead and any plan to relocate, work, or attend school abroad.
• Section 5 requires state-certified stable housing accountability programs to screen applicants for sex offender status and report accepted offenders to the local sheriff (O.C.G.A. § 8-3-311).

1. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-02-20Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
7. 2026-02-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
8. 2026-02-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)

• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)Primary sponsor
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   51 yea, 2 nay (0 not voting, 2 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #609

• sex offender registry
• homelessness
• public safety
• housing programs
• criminal justice