SB 233: Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission; revise the subcommittees

The Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission studies and shapes Georgia's approach to mental health and addiction policy. Under current law it was set to have 24 members and was scheduled to shut down on June 30, 2025. This bill grows the commission to 30 members by adding new appointees, including a certified addiction recovery specialist with lived experience of addiction, a family member of someone lost to drug overdose or fentanyl poisoning, an intellectual and developmental disabilities provider and advocate, and a parent or self-advocate connected to intellectual and developmental disabilities. The bill also changes the commission's required subcommittees, replacing the Involuntary Commitment subcommittee with one on Addictive Diseases and replacing Workforce and System Development with one on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It extends the commission's automatic repeal date from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2026, keeping it in operation for another year and a half. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Increases the commission's membership from 24 to 30 by adding six new appointed seats across the Governor, Senate, and House appointments.
• Adds a certified addiction recovery specialist with personal experience of addiction as a new gubernatorial appointee.
• Adds a family member of someone who died from drug overdose or fentanyl poisoning as a new Senate appointee.
• Creates new seats for intellectual and developmental disabilities providers, advocates, and affected individuals or parents.
• Replaces the Involuntary Commitment subcommittee with an Addictive Diseases subcommittee and the Workforce and System Development subcommittee with an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities subcommittee.
• Extends the commission's automatic repeal date from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2026.

The change affects the members and appointing officials of the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission, including the Governor, the Senate President, the House Speaker, and the Chief Justice, as well as Georgians involved in mental health, addiction recovery, and intellectual and developmental disabilities advocacy who may now serve on the commission.

By keeping the commission running through the end of 2026 and adding voices from addiction recovery and disability communities, the bill changes who helps shape state behavioral health policy recommendations and shifts the commission's subcommittee focus away from involuntary commitment and workforce issues toward addiction and developmental disabilities.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 37-1-112 to raise commission membership from 24 to 30 and add specific new appointee roles under the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 37-1-115 to rename two of the commission's required subcommittees: Addictive Diseases replaces Involuntary Commitment, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities replaces Workforce and System Development.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 37-1-116 to push back the commission's automatic repeal date from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2026.
• Section 4 makes the law effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon it becoming law without signature.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date
2. 2025-05-14Act 294
3. 2025-05-14Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2025-03-27House Third Readers (House)
7. 2025-03-20House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2025-03-11House Second Readers (House)

• Matt Brass (R, SD-6)Primary sponsor
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-45)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2025

   51 yea, 4 nay (1 not voting, 0 excused)

   PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #184

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2025

   164 yea, 2 nay (3 not voting, 11 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #321

• mental health policy
• addiction recovery
• intellectual and developmental disabilities
• state commissions
• behavioral health