What SB 535 does: Restructures governance of Georgia’s community service boards (CSBs) by transferring executive director appointment authority from local governing boards to the DBHDD Commissioner. Executive directors would become DBHDD employees. The Commissioner could direct executive directors to override governing board decisions when a CSB fails to meet performance standards. CSB conversions to nonprofit or other structures require Commissioner approval, and cessation of operations requires Governor approval. SB 535 is the Senate companion to HB 1368.
Consumer impact: CSBs are the primary delivery system for community-based behavioral health and developmental disability services in Georgia. Centralizing executive director appointments under DBHDD could improve statewide accountability and help address underperforming CSBs, but removes local community input from leadership decisions. The bill does not define the “performance standards” that would trigger a state override of local governing board authority, leaving significant discretion to DBHDD. Consumers and families who participate in CSB governance would see their influence reduced under the new structure.