(a) The department shall be a budget unit to which funds may be appropriated as provided in the "Budget Act," Part 1 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45. The department shall be an independent and distinct department of state government. The duties of the department shall be performed by that department and not by any other agency of state government, and the department shall not perform the duties of any other agency of state government. The position of commissioner of motor vehicle safety shall be a separate and distinct position from any other position in state government. The duties of the commissioner shall be performed by the commissioner and not by any other officer of state government, and the commissioner shall not perform the duties of any other officer of state government.

(b) Appropriations to the Department of Revenue, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation, and the Public Service Commission for functions transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety pursuant to this chapter may be transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety as provided for in Code Section 45-12-90, relating to disposition of appropriations for duties, purposes, and objects which have been transferred. Personnel, equipment, and facilities previously employed by the Department of Revenue, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation, and the Public Service Commission for such transferred functions shall likewise be transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety. Any disagreement between such departments as to any such transfers shall be determined by the Governor.

(c) Except as specifically provided otherwise by law, all fines and forfeitures collected for criminal violations cited by the department's enforcement officers shall, after deduction from the total fine or forfeiture of the amounts due the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund and the Sheriffs' Retirement Fund of Georgia and any other deductions specified by law, be paid by the clerk of the court into the fine and forfeiture fund of the county treasurer in the same manner and subject to the same rules of distribution as other fines and forfeitures.