---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-3. Validity of hospitalization orders entered before September 1, 1978; establishment of regulations as to orders authorizing continued hospitalization of patients hospitalized before September 1, 1978.
collection: code
id: 37-3-3
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-3-3 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-3
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-3.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-3/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=141
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/37-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-2.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-3-4.md
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 / EXAMINATION, TREATMENT, ETC., FOR MENTAL ILLNESS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-3-3. Validity of hospitalization orders entered before September 1, 1978; establishment of regulations as to orders authorizing continued hospitalization of patients hospitalized before September 1, 1978.

No hospitalization of a mentally ill person lawful before September 1, 1978, shall be deemed unlawful because of the enactment of this chapter. The board is authorized to establish reasonable regulations to require that the chief medical officer of each treatment facility apply under Code Section 37-3-83 for an order authorizing continued hospitalization of any patient for whom such hospitalization is necessary and who was initially hospitalized under an order of a court prior to September 1, 1978. Such prior orders of hospitalization entered by the courts, unless superseded at an earlier date by an order under this chapter or unless such prior orders expire under their own terms at an earlier date, shall remain valid until March 1, 1979, after which all such orders shall be null and void and of no effect.

## History

Code 1933, § 88-508.7, enacted by Ga. L. 1969, p. 505, § 1; Code 1933, § 88-507.6, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 1789, § 1.