Section 37-2-4.1. Regional mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases offices

   (a) The department shall create regional mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases offices. The number of these offices may be modified from time to time as deemed necessary by the department.

(b) The department shall create a separate regional mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases planning board for each regional office established under subsection (a) of this Code section. Each board shall provide and facilitate coordinated and comprehensive planning for its region in conformity with minimum standards and procedures established by the department. Each board shall be designated with such identifying words before the term "regional mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases planning board" as that regional planning board may, from time to time, choose and designate by official action.

(c) The powers, functions, obligations, and duties of the regional mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse boards as they existed on June 30, 2002, are transferred to the department. The department shall succeed to all rights, privileges, entitlements, contracts, leases, agreements, and other transactions of the regional boards which were in effect on June 30, 2002, and none of those rights, privileges, entitlements, contracts, leases, agreements, and other transactions shall be impaired or diminished by reason of such transfer. In all such instances, the department shall be substituted for such regional board and the department shall succeed to the rights and duties under such contracts, leases, agreements, and other transactions.

Code 1981, § 37-2-4.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1213, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, § 16; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1324, § 1-7; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 3-1/HB 228.