A. 1. There is hereby established in this state a Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

2. This Department's governing board shall be the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and its chief executive officer shall be the Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The Commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and may be removed or replaced without cause. Compensation for the Commissioner shall be determined by the Governor. The Commissioner may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members elected to and constituting each chamber of the Legislature.

3. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall exercise all functions of the state in relation to the administration and operation of all state facilities for the care and treatment of the mentally ill and drug- or alcohol-dependent persons.

B. All references in the Oklahoma Statutes to the Department of Mental Health or the Board of Mental Health shall be construed to refer to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, respectively.

Added by Laws 1953, p. 153, § 11, emerg. eff. June 3, 1953. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 103, § 8, eff. Nov. 1, 1986. Renumbered from § 11 of this title by Laws 1986, c. 103, § 103, eff. Nov. 1, 1986. Amended by Laws 1989, p. 1667, S.J.R. No. 23, § 1, eff. July 1, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 51, § 26, emerg. eff. April 9, 1990; Laws 2005, c. 150, § 7, emerg. eff. May 9, 2005; Laws 2019, c. 4, § 1, emerg. eff. March 13, 2019.