3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Petrea of the 166 |
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4 | 4 | | th |
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5 | 5 | | , Stephens of the 164 |
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6 | 6 | | th |
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7 | 7 | | , Hitchens of the 161 |
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8 | 8 | | st |
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9 | 9 | | , Gilliard |
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10 | 10 | | of the 162 |
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11 | 11 | | nd |
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12 | 12 | | , and Jackson of the 165 |
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13 | 13 | | th |
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14 | 14 | | |
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15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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17 | 17 | | To amend an Act creating the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, approved |
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18 | 18 | | 1 |
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19 | 19 | | March 30, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4701), as amended, so as to provide for membership; to2 |
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20 | 20 | | provide for meetings; to provide for purposes; to provide for definitions; to provide for3 |
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21 | 21 | | legislative findings; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other4 |
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22 | 22 | | purposes.5 |
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23 | 23 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 |
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24 | 24 | | SECTION 1.7 |
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25 | 25 | | An Act creating the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, approved March 30,8 |
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26 | 26 | | 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4701), as amended, is amended by revising subsection (d) of Section 29 |
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27 | 27 | | as follows:10 |
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28 | 28 | | "(d) It is further found that such a public authority should provide the operational duties11 |
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29 | 29 | | of the CoC as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and12 |
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30 | 30 | | coordinate and assist public and private entities in implementing the homeless management13 |
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31 | 31 | | information system, developing a comprehensive coordinated entry system, leading the14 |
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32 | 32 | | annual point in time count efforts, serving as the CoC collaborative applicant, and15 |
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33 | 33 | | managing and assisting with the notice of funding opportunity process, including the16 |
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34 | 34 | | H. B. 730 |
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36 | 36 | | preparation and final submission of the community collaborative application. The |
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37 | 37 | | 17 |
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38 | 38 | | authority is the collaborative applicant for the Interagency Council on Homelessness for18 |
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39 | 39 | | Chatham-Savannah."19 |
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40 | 40 | | SECTION 2.20 |
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41 | 41 | | Said Act is further amended by revising Section 3 as follows:21 |
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42 | 42 | | "SECTION 3.22 |
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43 | 43 | | Definitions.23 |
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44 | 44 | | Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this Act, the term:24 |
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45 | 45 | | (1) 'Authority' means the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless created by this25 |
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46 | 46 | | Act.26 |
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47 | 47 | | (2) 'CoC' means the group of individuals and agencies that carry out the responsibility27 |
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48 | 48 | | of planning a community's response to those persons experiencing homelessness.28 |
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49 | 49 | | (3) 'Collaborative applicant' means that agency designated to meet all U.S. Department29 |
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50 | 50 | | of Housing and Urban Development requirements under 24 C.F.R. Part 578.30 |
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51 | 51 | | (4) 'Coordinated entry' means a systemwide process that quickly and equitably31 |
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52 | 52 | | coordinates the access, assessment, and prioritization and referrals to housing and32 |
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53 | 53 | | emergency services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. This33 |
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54 | 54 | | centralized process transforms a CoC into a fully integrated crisis response system.34 |
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55 | 55 | | (5) 'Homeless' means being without or expecting within 30 days to be without sleeping35 |
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56 | 56 | | accommodations which meet health and safety standards and includes such factors as36 |
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57 | 57 | | unemployment, underemployment, substance abuse, mental illness, or other conditions37 |
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58 | 58 | | as determined by the authority which cause or contribute to causing the state of being38 |
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59 | 59 | | homeless.39 |
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60 | 60 | | H. B. 730 |
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62 | 62 | | (6) 'Homeless management information system' means the platform or software that is |
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63 | 63 | | 40 |
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64 | 64 | | used to collect jurisdictional data and report the same to the Department of Community41 |
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65 | 65 | | Affairs.42 |
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66 | 66 | | (7) 'Notice of funding opportunity' mean those notices provided to local governments and43 |
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67 | 67 | | communities by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development."44 |
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68 | 68 | | SECTION 3.45 |
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69 | 69 | | Said Act is further amended by revising Section 5 as follows:46 |
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70 | 70 | | "SECTION 5.47 |
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71 | 71 | | Membership.48 |
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72 | 72 | | (a)(1) The authority shall be governed by a board of directors that is composed of 1349 |
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73 | 73 | | members as follows:50 |
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74 | 74 | | (A) Two members shall be appointed by the City Council;51 |
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75 | 75 | | (B) Two members shall be appointed by the County Commission; and52 |
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76 | 76 | | (C) The remaining nine members shall be selected as provided for in subsection (a) of53 |
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77 | 77 | | Section 6 of this Act.54 |
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78 | 78 | | (2) One member shall presently be experiencing or in the past shall have experienced55 |
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79 | 79 | | homelessness.56 |
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80 | 80 | | (3) All members shall be appointed for a three-year term. In no event shall any member57 |
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81 | 81 | | serve more than two consecutive, three-year terms of office.58 |
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82 | 82 | | (b) All members shall be residents of Chatham County.59 |
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83 | 83 | | (c) Members shall receive no compensation.60 |
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84 | 84 | | (d) The board may remove any member by a majority vote of the full membership if the61 |
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85 | 85 | | member fails to carry out the duties and responsibilities required of members by this Act. 62 |
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86 | 86 | | Said process for removal shall be outlined in by-laws of the organization.63 |
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87 | 87 | | H. B. 730 |
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89 | 89 | | (e) There shall be a chair of the board whose duties shall be outlined in the bylaws of the |
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90 | 90 | | 64 |
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91 | 91 | | authority. In addition to all other duties, powers, and responsibilities, the chair shall serve65 |
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92 | 92 | | on the board of the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah."66 |
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93 | 93 | | SECTION 4.67 |
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94 | 94 | | Said Act is further amended by revising Section 6 as follows:68 |
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95 | 95 | | "SECTION 6.69 |
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96 | 96 | | Organization; meetings.70 |
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97 | 97 | | (a) The chair of the board shall call an organizational meeting after the City of Savannah and71 |
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98 | 98 | | Chatham County have each appointed its respective representatives, but no later than 45 days72 |
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99 | 99 | | after this Act, as amended in 2025, becomes effective. At that meeting, the chair of the board73 |
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100 | 100 | | along with the appointees of the County and City and the executive committee shall select74 |
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101 | 101 | | the remaining board members. All directors other than the executive committee serving prior75 |
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102 | 102 | | to the effective date of the 2025 amendment of this Act shall cease to be directors upon such76 |
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103 | 103 | | amendment becoming effective. The chair shall continue to serve for two years as chair after77 |
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104 | 104 | | the 2025 amendment of this Act becomes effective.78 |
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105 | 105 | | (b) All acts of the board must be approved by a majority of the quorum of the board. The79 |
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106 | 106 | | board shall require at least 40 percent membership to have a quorum.80 |
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107 | 107 | | (c) The board shall meet no less than six times a year and shall also have an additional81 |
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108 | 108 | | annual meeting.82 |
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109 | 109 | | (d) The authority shall prepare and submit to the appointing bodies, including the City of83 |
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110 | 110 | | Savannah, Chatham County, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness for84 |
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111 | 111 | | Chatham-Savannah, an annual report each year upon completion of the U.S. Department of85 |
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112 | 112 | | Housing and Urban Development required annual point in time count. Such report shall make86 |
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113 | 113 | | available the latest independent audit of the authority."87 |
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114 | 114 | | H. B. 730 |
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116 | 116 | | SECTION 5. |
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117 | 117 | | 88 |
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118 | 118 | | Said Act is further amended by revising Section 7 as follows:89 |
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119 | 119 | | "SECTION 7.90 |
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120 | 120 | | Purposes.91 |
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121 | 121 | | (a) To provide all data, insights, and other information to the Interagency Council on92 |
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122 | 122 | | Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah to use in developing, and amending from time to time,93 |
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123 | 123 | | a comprehensive plan for public and private agencies to effectively provide services for94 |
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124 | 124 | | persons experiencing homelessness.95 |
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125 | 125 | | (b) To coordinate, evaluate, and provide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban96 |
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126 | 126 | | Development required operations of the CoC and support the implementation and carrying97 |
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127 | 127 | | out of the comprehensive plan developed by the Interagency Council on Homelessness for98 |
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128 | 128 | | Chatham-Savannah.99 |
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129 | 129 | | (c) To contract with public and private agencies for the purposes of subsections (a) and (b)100 |
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130 | 130 | | of this section and for such public and private agencies to provide programs and services to101 |
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131 | 131 | | persons experiencing homelessness in order to carry out the provisions of the comprehensive102 |
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132 | 132 | | plan developed by the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah.103 |
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133 | 133 | | (d) To offer services, including administration and implementation of a homeless104 |
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134 | 134 | | management information system, coordinated entry, leading the U.S. Department of Housing105 |
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135 | 135 | | and Urban Development required annual point in time count, submission of the U.S.106 |
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136 | 136 | | Department of Housing and Urban Development notice of funding opportunity community107 |
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137 | 137 | | application, coordination of the local notice of funding opportunity competition, street108 |
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138 | 138 | | outreach, encampment engagement, case management, crisis intervention and referral,109 |
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139 | 139 | | housing, and other related services to persons experiencing homelessness."110 |
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140 | 140 | | H. B. 730 |
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