§ 19-13-34.Powers and duties of commission

Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 3. State Commission on Family Violence · Last amended 2015 · Last verified October 9, 2026

In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 19-13-34 lists the nine duties and four powers of Georgia’s State Commission on Family Violence, from studying services and monitoring family violence laws to reporting to the legislature and setting standards for intervention programs.

Full Text of § 19-13-34

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(a) The commission shall have the following duties:

(1) To study and evaluate the needs, priorities, programs, policies, and accessibility of services relating to family violence throughout this state;

(2) To evaluate and monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of existing family violence laws, including the response of the present civil and criminal legal systems;

(3) To initiate and coordinate the development of family violence legislation, as necessary;

(4) To monitor the implementation and enforcement of laws, regulations, and protocols concerning family violence;

(5) To make recommendations for education and training to ensure that all citizens and service providers, including but not limited to members of the judiciary, law enforcement personnel, and prosecuting attorneys, are aware of needs relating to family violence and of services available;

(6) To develop models for community task forces on family violence;

(7) To provide training and continuing education on the dynamics of family violence to members of the commission where appropriate and necessary;

(8) To report annually to the General Assembly during its existence; and

(9) To develop standards to be utilized by the Department of Community Supervision in the certification and regulation of family violence intervention programs.

(b) The commission shall have the following powers:

(1) To write and disseminate reports and recommendations concerning family violence to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the community;

(2) To accept public or private grants, devises, and bequests;

(3) To enter into all contracts or agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties; and

(4) To hold meetings and public hearings and to conduct studies, collect data, or take any other action the commission deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.

End

Plain-English Summary

This section tells the State Commission on Family Violence what it must do and what it may do. Its nine duties fall into a few groups. First, study and oversight: the commission evaluates the needs, priorities, programs, policies and accessibility of family violence services across Georgia; evaluates and monitors how well existing family violence laws work, including the civil and criminal legal systems’ response; and monitors how laws, regulations and protocols on family violence are carried out and enforced.

Second, action: it initiates and coordinates new family violence legislation as needed, recommends education and training so that citizens and service providers — judges, law enforcement and prosecutors among them — know about family violence needs and available services, develops models for community task forces, and trains its own members on the dynamics of family violence where appropriate. Third, accountability: it reports to the General Assembly every year. And fourth, a specific job tied to § 19-13-14: it develops the standards the Department of Community Supervision uses to certify and regulate family violence intervention programs, which § 19-13-10 describes as programs designed to rehabilitate family violence offenders.

To carry out those duties, the commission has four powers. It may write and distribute reports and recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly and the community; accept public or private grants, devises and bequests; enter into contracts needed for its work; and hold meetings and public hearings, conduct studies, collect data, or take any other action it deems necessary. The section was last amended in 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Georgia Commission on Family Violence do?

It studies family violence services and laws in Georgia and pushes for improvements. Its duties include evaluating services and laws, coordinating new legislation, monitoring enforcement, recommending training for judges, police and prosecutors, developing models for community task forces, reporting yearly to the General Assembly, and developing standards for certifying family violence intervention programs.

Who sets the standards for family violence intervention programs in Georgia?

The commission develops the standards, and the Department of Community Supervision uses them to certify and regulate the programs. Section 19-13-14 adds that the commission and the department establish course standards together, such as duration, instructor qualifications, fees, attendance and examinations.

Does the family violence commission report to the legislature?

Yes. One of its nine duties is to report annually to the General Assembly during its existence. Separately, it has the power to write and distribute reports and recommendations about family violence to the Governor, the General Assembly and the community, and it has a duty to initiate and coordinate new family violence legislation as necessary.

Can the commission hold public hearings?

Yes. It has the power to hold meetings and public hearings, conduct studies, collect data, and take any other action the commission deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities. It may also enter into contracts or agreements needed for its work.

Can the family violence commission accept donations?

Yes. The commission has the power to accept public or private grants, devises and bequests, and to enter into the contracts or agreements its work requires. Under § 19-13-33, members may be reimbursed for expenses they incur on commission business out of the grants, devises and bequests the commission receives.

Amendment History

Laws 1992, p. 1810, § 1; Laws 2002, p. 1435, § 5; Laws 2015, Act 73, § 5-49, eff. July 1, 2015.

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, and checked word for word against the Georgia Code Revision Commission’s public-domain edition and the acts that later amended it. Section headings are the Code’s official catchlines. Last verified October 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: state commission on family violence dutiesfamily violence commission powers georgiafamily violence intervention program standardsgeorgia family violence task force