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HB400 • 2025

Community Housing Options Increase Cost Efficiency (CHOICE) Act; enact

Community Housing Options Increase Cost Efficiency (CHOICE) Act; enact

Housing
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Frye, Spencer
Last action
2026-02-26
Official status
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The source text mentions providing for definitions but does not list what those definitions are.

Community Housing Options Increase Cost Efficiency (CHOICE) Act

This law creates a system where local governments can get certified by the state for passing certain policies, which helps them receive priority when applying for some grants and loans.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends laws in Titles 12, 32, and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated regarding natural resources, highways, bridges, ferries, and state government.
  • Creates a system allowing certain local governments to seek certification from the Department of Community Affairs after enacting specific policies.
  • Requires the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to give priority to certified local governments when awarding grants and loans.
  • Allows these certifications to be used by local governments to receive priority in grant and loan applications submitted to state agencies.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Certain local governments that enact specific policies and seek certification from the Department of Community Affairs.
  • The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, which must prioritize certified applicants for grants and loans.
  • State agencies receiving grant and loan applications where this priority system applies.

Terms To Know

Certification
An official status a local government can seek from the Department of Community Affairs after enacting certain policies to gain priority in funding applications.
Priority in grant and loan applications
A rule requiring state agencies, including the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, to favor certified local governments when awarding funds.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The official summary does not list the specific policies a local government must pass to receive certification.
  • It is unclear which exact grants and loans beyond those from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority are covered by this priority rule for other state agencies.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-26 Georgia General Assembly

    House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

Official Summary Text

Community Housing Options Increase Cost Efficiency (CHOICE) Act; enact