SCS/SB 1106 - This act provides that state funds for homelessness shall be used for certain facilities, including parking areas, camping facilities, and short-term shelters, and shall comply with certain requirements as provided in the act. Additionally, any person that owns or operates a private camping facility pursuant to this act shall be immune from liability as provided in the act.

State funds otherwise used for permanent housing projects shall be used to assist individuals with substance use, mental health treatment, and other services like short-term housing. The Department of Economic Development shall award certain funds as bonuses for political subdivisions that reduce the number of individuals with days unhoused, days in jail, or days hospitalized.

This act provides that no person shall be permitted to use state-owned lands for unauthorized sleeping, camping, or long-term shelters. Any violation shall be a Class C misdemeanor; however the first offense shall be a warning with no citation.

A political subdivision shall not adopt any policy under which the political subdivision prohibits the enforcement of any ordinance prohibiting public camping, sleeping, or obstruction of sidewalks. The Attorney General shall have the power to bring a civil action to enjoin the political subdivision from failing to enforce any ordinances prohibiting public camping, sleeping, or obstruction of sidewalks.

Any political subdivision with a higher per-capita homelessness rate than the state average shall receive no further state funding until the Department determines the political subdivision has a lower homelessness rate than the state average or it enforces ordinances prohibiting unauthorized sleeping and camping.

A political subdivision may allocate up to 25% of funds it receives from the state through grants for public safety to the creation of homeless outreach teams as provided in the act.

This act shall not apply to shelters for domestic violence victims.

The provisions of this act shall be effective on January 1, 2023.

This act is substantially similar to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/SS/SCS/HCS/HB 1606 (2022) and HCS/HB 2614 (2022).

MARY GRACE PRINGLE