---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-1-4. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities; functions, duties; commissioner.
collection: code
id: 37-1-4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-1-4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-1-4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-1-4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-1-4/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c6b9c518_0#page=25
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-1.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MENTAL HEALTH / GOVERNING AND REGULATION OF MENTAL HEALTH / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-1-4. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities; functions, duties; commissioner.

(a) There is created a Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The powers, functions, and duties of the Department of Human Resources as they existed on June 30, 2009, relating to the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases are transferred to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities effective July 1, 2009.

(b) There is created the position of commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities. The commissioner shall be the chief administrative officer of the department and be both appointed and removed by the board, subject to the approval of the Governor. Subject to the general policy established by the board, the commissioner shall supervise, direct, account for, organize, plan, administer, and execute the functions vested in the department.

(c) There shall be created in the department such divisions as may be found necessary for its effective operation. The commissioner shall have the power to allocate and reallocate functions among the divisions within the department.

## History

Code 1981, § 37-1-4, enacted by Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 3-1/HB 228.