Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and Community Advisory Council on Homelessness; create within DHS.

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To: Public Health and Human
Services; Accountability,
Efficiency, Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Summers, Mansell

HOUSE BILL NO. 897

AN ACT TO CREATE THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HOMELESSNESS 1
WITHIN THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO FACILITATE 2
AND IMPLEMENT INITIATIVES TO DECREASE HOMELESSNESS AND UNNECESSARY 3
INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN THIS STATE, IMPROVE HEALTH AND HUMAN 4
SERVICES OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS, AND 5
STRENGTHEN THE SAFETY NETS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSING STABILITY; 6
TO PRESCRIBE THE DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE; TO PROVIDE FOR THE 7
MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO SUBMIT A 8
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE 9
REGARDING THE TASK FORCE'S WORK DURING THE PRIOR YEAR AND ANY NEW 10
RECOMMENDATIONS DEVELOPED BY THE TASK FORCE; TO CREATE THE 11
COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT 12
TO ADVISE THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HOMELESSNESS ON ITS 13
MISSION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TASK FORCE; TO PROVIDE FOR 14
THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL; TO REQUIRE THE ADVISORY 15
COUNCIL TO SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON 16
HOMELESSNESS EACH YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 17
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 18
SECTION 1. (1) The Interagency Task Force on Homelessness 19
is created within the Mississippi Department of Human Services to 20
facilitate and implement initiatives to decrease homelessness and 21
unnecessary institutionalization in this state, improve health and 22
human services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, 23
and strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing 24
stability. The task force shall: 25
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(a) Develop a state plan to address homelessness and 26
unnecessary institutionalization with the goals of achieving 27
functional zero homelessness, improving health and human services 28
outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, and strengthening 29
the safety nets that contribute to housing stability; 30
(b) Recommend policy, regulatory and resource 31
distribution changes necessary to accomplish the goals and 32
objectives laid out in the state plan; 33
(c) Serve within state government and in the state at 34
large as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness; 35
(d) Provide leadership for and collaborate with those 36
developing and implementing local plans to end homelessness in 37
Mississippi, including, but not limited to, the Community Advisory 38
Council created in Section 2 of this act and its members; 39
(e) Recommend the resources needed for successful 40
implementation of the state plan and oversee that implementation; 41
(f) Recommend and promote effective interagency 42
collaboration and system integration to converge related efforts; 43
and 44
(g) Make oversight recommendations that will ensure 45
accountability, results and sustained success; and 46
(h) Develop specific proposals and recommendations for 47
action to provide to the Governor and the Legislature. 48
(2) The task force may solicit feedback from stakeholders 49
and advocates to inform task force recommendations as necessary. 50
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In addition, the task force may request advice from the 51
Mississippi Interagency Council on Homelessness created in Section 52
43-1-101, and the council shall provide such information as 53
requested and otherwise cooperate with the task force. 54
(3) The task force shall be composed of the following 55
members: 56
(a) The Executive Director of Human Services or his or 57
her designee, who shall be the chair of the task force; 58
(b) The Executive Director of the State Department of 59
Mental Health or his or her designee; 60
(c) The Executive Director of the State Department of 61
Health or his or her designee; 62
(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 63
Department of Child Protection Services or his or her designee; 64
(e) The State Superintendent of Public Education or his 65
or her designee; 66
(f) The Commissioner of Public Safety or his or her 67
designee; 68
(g) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 69
Department of Corrections or his or her designee; 70
(h) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 71
Department of Finance and Administration or his or her designee; 72
(i) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 73
Department of Employment Security or his or her designee; 74
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(j) The Executive Director of the State Veterans 75
Affairs Board or his or her designee; 76
(k) The Commissioner of Higher Education or his or her 77
designee; 78
(l) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community 79
College Board or his or her designee; 80
(m) The Director of the Administrative Office of Courts 81
or his or her designee; 82
(n) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Home 83
Corporation or his or her designee; 84
(o) The Executive Director of Accelerate Mississippi or 85
his or her designee; 86
(p) One (1) member of the Senate appointed by the 87
Lieutenant Governor; 88
(q) One (1) member of the House of Representatives 89
appointed by the Speaker; 90
(r) The Minority Leader of the House or his or her 91
designee; and 92
(s) The Minority Leader of the Senate or his or her 93
designee. 94
(4) The chair of the task force may appoint additional 95
representatives from state agencies as needed. 96
(5) The task force shall meet at the call of the chair, at 97
least four (4) times per year, with the first meeting being called 98
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no later than July 1, 2026. Members of the task force shall serve 99
without compensation. 100
(6) On or before December 1, 2026, and each year thereafter, 101
the task force shall submit a report to the Governor, the Speaker 102
of the Mississippi House of Representatives, the Lieutenant 103
Governor, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Public 104
Health and Human Services Committee, the chairman of the Senate 105
Public Health and Welfare Committee and any other member of the 106
Legislature upon request, regarding the task force's work during 107
the prior year, any recommendations developed by the task force, 108
any recommendations made by the Community Advisory Council on 109
Homelessness, and any key outcomes and measures related to 110
homelessness. 111
(7) The task force may establish subcommittees to address 112
specific issues or populations and may collaborate with 113
individuals with relevant expertise who are not members of the 114
task force to assist the subcommittee in carrying out its duties. 115
(8) The Department of Human Services shall provide staff and 116
administrative support to the task force. 117
(9) Nothing in this section shall be construed to contravene 118
any federal or state law or regulation. Unless specifically 119
referenced in this section, nothing in this section shall affect 120
or alter the existing statutory powers of any state agency or be 121
construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any state agency. 122
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SECTION 2. (1) The Community Advisory Council on 123
Homelessness is created within the Mississippi Department of Human 124
Services to advise the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness 125
created in Section 1 of this act on its mission to achieve 126
functional zero homelessness in the state and make recommendations 127
to the task force regarding decreasing homelessness and 128
unnecessary institutionalization, improving health and human 129
services outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and 130
strengthening the safety nets that contribute to housing 131
stability. 132
(2) The members of the advisory council shall be appointed 133
by the Governor and shall consist of diverse stakeholders who 134
shall be geographically diverse to represent the needs of urban, 135
suburban and rural communities across Mississippi, and shall 136
reflect the racial, ethnic and geographic diversity of this state. 137
Members of the advisory council shall include, but not be limited 138
to, individuals with lived experience of homelessness or housing 139
insecurity, and representatives from the following organizations: 140
Disability Rights Mississippi, Shower Power, Community Foundation 141
for Mississippi, NAMI Mississippi, Mississippi Housing 142
Partnership, Central Mississippi Continuum of Care, Mississippi 143
United to End Homelessness (MUTEH), Mississippi Coalition Against 144
Domestic Violence, Open Doors Homeless Coalition, Reaching and 145
Educating for Community Hope (RECH) Foundation, Mississippi Center 146
for Police and Sheriffs, and Jackson Resource Center. 147
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ST: Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and
Community Advisory Council on Homelessness;
create within DHS.
(3) The meetings of the advisory council shall be conducted 148
in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. The 149
Department of Human Services shall provide staff and 150
administrative support to assist the advisory council in carrying 151
out its duties. 152
(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to contravene 153
any federal or state law or regulation. Unless specifically 154
referenced in this section, nothing in this section shall affect 155
or alter the existing statutory powers of any state agency or be 156
construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any state agency. 157
(5) On or before November 15, 2026, and each year 158
thereafter, the advisory council shall submit recommendations to 159
the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. 160
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 161
and after its passage. 162