The mission of the Dept. of General Services is to provide supportive services to other state agencies, local political subdivisions as appropriate, in the areas of laboratory services; maintenance, operation and construction of facilities; land management; land and facilities acquisition; disposal and sale of material and supplies; risk management; and other related activities. The Commission on State Governmental Management recommended the creation of the Dept. of General Services to be comprised of the then existing Dept. of Purchases and Supplies, Division of Engineering and Buildings, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Dept. of Property Records and Insurance, and several other state agencies functions which were subsequently determined by appropriate authorities to be left outside of the organization of this department.

In 1976, the General Assembly passed H.B. 1240 which called for the establishment of the position of a director of the department and required the appointee to prepare a plan for the organization of this department with implementing legislation. This was accomplished and the 1977 session of the General Assembly enacted Chapter 672 which created the Dept. of General Services. Consistent with this statute, the department was officially implemented on July 1, 1978. This brought together, under the umbrella of the major department, the Dept. of Purchases and Supply, the Division of Engineering, the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, and the Dept. of Property Records and Insurance, now called Office of Risk Management. Also included under the umbrella of the authority of the Dept. of General Services are several boards, appeal boards and review councils which are: Consolidated Laboratory Services Advisory Board; Purchase and Supply Appeal Board; Art and Architectural Review and Council and the State Insurance Advisory Board.

Major activities of the department are to maintain and operate facilities at the seat of government; assist in the administration of the capital outlay budget of the Commonwealth; to assist in acquisition of real property either by lease or purchase; to perform centralized purchasing functions of the Commonwealth; to dispose of surplus real property and material and supplies; to provide a comprehensive risk management insurance program for all agencies and institutions; to operate a centralized purchasing and warehousing function for supplying State agencies and certain political subdivisions with equipment and supplies; to acquire or provide printing services for State agencies and institutions; provide central mail and messenger service for State agencies in the area of the seat of government; provide laboratory research and scientific services in the area of environmental sciences; forensic science, microbiology, and product regulation; to provide training to law enforcement personnel in the collection and preservation of evidence; and to conduct programs on inspection and certification of certain laboratories through the state.