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Bill

SB 535

Mental Health; the re-creation of community service boards; provide

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kay Kirkpatrick

Georgia bill recreates local community service boards to coordinate mental health, addiction, and disability services across the state.

Effective Date
#mentalhealth #stategovernment
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Bill Summary · SB 535

Legislative bill overview

SB 535 recreates community service boards (CSBs) in Georgia, which are local organizations responsible for coordinating mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services. The bill reestablishes the governance structure, funding mechanisms, and operational requirements for these boards after they were previously eliminated or consolidated.

Why is this important

Community service boards serve as the primary local infrastructure connecting individuals with mental health and addiction services, particularly for vulnerable and low-income populations. The recreation of these boards affects how mental health services are accessed, funded, and coordinated across Georgia's counties and regions.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding responsibility and sustainability – Unclear how CSBs will be funded long-term and whether adequate state/local resources will be allocated to make them functional and effective
  • Governance and local control – Questions about the balance of authority between state oversight and local board autonomy, and how board composition will be determined
  • Duplication of services – Potential overlap with existing mental health service providers and whether recreation of CSBs creates inefficiencies or administrative redundancies

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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