(a) There is created the Board of Community Supervision which shall establish the general policy to be followed by the Department of Community Supervision. The powers, functions, and duties of the Board of Corrections as they exist on June 30, 2015, with regard to the probation division of the Department of Corrections and supervision of probationers unless otherwise provided in this chapter are transferred to the Board of Community Supervision effective July 1, 2015. The powers, functions, and duties of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as they exist on June 30, 2015, with regard to the supervision of parolees, unless otherwise provided in this chapter are transferred to the Board of Community Supervision effective July 1, 2015. The powers, functions, and duties of the Board of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Juvenile Justice as they exist on June 30, 2016, with regard to the probation supervision of children and reentry services for children who have been released from restrictive custody and who were adjudicated for a Class A designated felony act or Class B designated felony act, as such terms are defined in Code Section 15-11-2, are transferred to the Board of Community Supervision effective July 1, 2016, except as otherwise provided by the rules and regulations of the Board of Juvenile Justice governing such supervision. The powers, functions, and duties of the County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council as they exist on June 30, 2015, are transferred to the Board of Community Supervision effective July 1, 2015. The powers, functions, and duties of the Governor's Office of Transition, Support, and Reentry as they exist on June 30, 2016, with regard to reentry services are transferred to the board and DCS effective July 1, 2016. The powers, functions, and duties of the board that were transferred from the former County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council as it existed on June 30, 2015, to the board are transferred to DCS effective July 1, 2016; provided, however, that the power to set policy and promulgate rules and regulations for DCS shall be retained by the board.

(b) The board shall consist of 11 members. The commissioner of corrections, commissioner of juvenile justice, chairperson and vice chairperson of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, director of the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services, and commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities shall be members of the board and shall serve on the board so long as they remain in their appointed positions. The Governor shall appoint:

(1) A sheriff who shall serve an initial term ending June 30, 2019, each subsequent term being four years;

(2) A mayor or city manager who shall serve an initial term ending June 30, 2018, each subsequent term being four years;

(3) A county commissioner or county manager who shall serve an initial term ending June 30, 2017, each subsequent term being four years;

(4) An individual who owns or is employed by a private corporation, private enterprise, private agency, or other private entity that is providing probation supervision services pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of this title who shall serve an initial term ending June 30, 2019, each subsequent term being four years; and

(5) An individual who is employed by a governing authority of a county, municipality, or consolidated government that is providing probation supervision services pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of this title who shall serve an initial term ending June 30, 2018, each subsequent term being four years.

(c) Vacancies in office shall be filled by appointment by the Governor in the same manner as the appointment to the position on the board which becomes vacant. An appointment to fill a vacancy, other than by expiration of a term of office, shall be for the balance of the unexpired term.

(d) Members of the board may be removed from office under the same conditions for removal from office of members of professional licensing boards provided in Code Section 43-1-17.

(e) There shall be a chairperson of the board, elected by and from the membership of the board, who shall be the presiding officer of the board.

(f) The members of the board shall receive per diem and expenses as shall be set and approved by the Office of Planning and Budget and in conformance with rates and allowances set for members of other state boards.

(g) (1) As used in this subsection, the term:

(A) "Evidence based practices" means supervision policies, procedures, programs, and practices that scientific research demonstrates reduce recidivism among individuals who are under some form of correctional supervision.

(B) "Recidivism" means returning to prison or jail within three years of being placed on probation or being discharged or released from a department or jail facility.

(2) The board shall adopt rules and regulations governing the management and treatment of probationers and parolees to ensure that evidence based practices, including the use of a risk and needs assessment and any other method the board deems appropriate, guide decisions related to managing probationers and parolees in the community. Any risk and needs assessment instrument shall be revalidated by January 1, 2019, and every five years thereafter. The board shall require DCS to collect and analyze data and performance outcomes relevant to the level and type of treatment given to a probationer or parolee and the outcome of the treatment on his or her recidivism and prepare an annual report regarding such information which shall be submitted to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Judiciary and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

(3) Using evidence based practices, the board shall evaluate the quality of the programming utilized at day reporting centers by January 1, 2019, and every five years thereafter, and shall publicly publish its report.

(h)

(1) The board, acting alone or in cooperation with the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia or other relevant educational organizations and agencies, may provide educational programs for probationers and shall exercise program approval authority. The board may enter into written agreements with other educational organizations and agencies in order to provide probationers with such education and employment skills most likely to encourage gainful employment and discourage return to criminal activity. The board may also enter into agreements with other educational organizations and agencies to attain program certification for its vocational and technical education programs.

(2) The board shall create a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate that may be issued to probationers under the rules and regulations of the board. Such certificate shall symbolize a probationer's achievements toward successful reentry into society. The board's rules and regulations relating to the issuance of such certificate shall take into account a probationer's violations of the terms of his or her probation and any other factor the board deems relevant to an individual's qualification for such certificate. The board's rules and regulations shall specify eligibility considerations and requirements for completion of such certificate.

(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to constitute a waiver of the sovereign immunity of the state, and no action shall be maintained against the state or any agency or department thereof for issuance of or failure to issue any Program and Treatment Completion Certificate.

(i) The board shall adopt rules and regulations and such rules and regulations shall be adopted, established, promulgated, amended, repealed, filed, and published in accordance with the applicable provisions and procedure as set forth in Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act." The courts shall take judicial notice of any such rules or regulations.

(j) As used in this Code section, the term "rules and regulations" shall have the same meaning as the word "rule" as defined in paragraph (6) of Code Section 50-13-2.

(k) The board shall perform duties required of it by law and shall, in addition thereto, be responsible for promulgation of all rules and regulations not in conflict with this chapter that may be necessary and appropriate to the administration of DCS, to the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter and Chapters 8 and 9 of this title, and to the performance of the duties and functions of DCS as set forth in this chapter and Chapters 8 and 9 of this title.