SB468: SB468 Sexual Offender Risk Review Board; reporting requirements of sexual offenders; increase

Georgia law already requires registered sexual offenders to report their address and other information to local sheriffs. This bill expands those rules. It adds a legal definition of homelessness and changes how homeless sexual offenders must register, including reporting where they sleep and updating that information faster (within 36 hours instead of 72) when they move. It also lets the Department of Community Supervision fit homeless offenders on probation or parole with GPS tracking devices under certain conditions, reviewed every 90 days. The bill creates a new requirement that sexual offenders notify their sheriff and community supervision officer at least 21 days before traveling outside the United States, and report any plan to live, work, or attend school abroad; that information gets shared with federal authorities and added to state and national sex offender registries. For offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, the bill sets mandatory minimum risk classifications for offenders convicted of certain crimes such as child molestation, rape, and trafficking. It also requires stable housing accountability programs to ask applicants if they are registered sexual offenders and report accepted applicants to local sheriffs.

• Adds a legal definition of 'homeless' or 'homelessness' to Georgia's sex offender registry law (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12) and changes registration duties for offenders who are homeless.
• Shortens the window for homeless sexual offenders to report a change in sleeping location from 72 hours to 36 hours and requires them to comply with requests from homeless service providers to disclose their registered status.
• Allows the Department of Community Supervision to fit homeless sexual offenders on probation or parole with GPS tracking devices under specific conditions, with the need reassessed every 90 days.
• Creates mandatory minimum risk assessment classifications (Level II or 'sexually dangerous predator') for people convicted on or after July 1, 2026 of certain sex crimes including child molestation, rape, and sex trafficking.
• Requires sexual offenders to report planned international travel at least 21 days in advance, and any plan to live, work, or study abroad, with that information shared with federal and national registries.
• Requires stable housing accountability programs to ask applicants whether they are registered sexual offenders and to report accepted sexual offender residents to the local sheriff.

Registered sexual offenders, including those who are homeless, are the most directly affected group. The bill also affects county sheriffs, the Department of Community Supervision, community supervision officers, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board, and stable housing accountability programs and their applicants.

Homeless sexual offenders would face faster reporting deadlines, possible GPS tracking, and disclosure requirements to shelters. All registered offenders would need to report foreign travel weeks in advance. People convicted of certain serious sex crimes after mid-2026 would automatically receive stricter risk classifications, and housing program applicants who are offenders would be reported to sheriffs.

• Section 1 defines 'homeless' or 'homelessness' and revises registration rules in O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12, including a 36-hour deadline for homeless offenders to report a new sleeping location and a requirement to cooperate with homeless service providers' requests for status information.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13.1 to let the Department of Community Supervision fit homeless offenders on probation or parole with GPS tracking devices when a special need is identified, reviewed every 90 days.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 42-1-14 to require the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board to place offenders convicted on or after July 1, 2026 of specified crimes (such as child molestation of a victim under 12, rape, aggravated sodomy, and sex trafficking) into Level II or 'sexually dangerous predator' classifications.
• Section 4 creates new O.C.G.A. § 42-1-20, requiring offenders to report international travel at least 21 days ahead, including flight and destination details, and to report plans to live, work, or study abroad, with data shared with federal registries.
• Section 5 amends O.C.G.A. § 8-3-311 to require stable housing accountability programs to ask applicants about sexual offender status, disclose proximity to schools or child care facilities, and report accepted offenders to the county sheriff.
• Section 6 repeals conflicting laws.

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

• sexual offender registry
• homelessness policy
• GPS monitoring
• criminal justice
• stable housing programs