Prior Priority Legislation

MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: DeMaio

Date: 06/22/2025

The proposed bill introduces new regulations concerning homeless encampments and modifies existing Housing First policies. Firstly, it would prohibit homeless encampments within 500 feet of designated sensitive areas, such as schools and transit stops, and bans camping in public spaces if a homeless shelter bed is available locally. Regarding Housing First, the bill proposes removing the requirement for state agencies to include Housing First policies in their guidelines. Instead, it allows programs to evaluate applicants based on housing readiness and impose rules concerning sobriety, substance abuse, and mental health. It mandates that state program funding prioritize specific criteria, including drug testing, mandatory treatment, and work requirements. Additionally, the bill requires programs to include work opportunities and stipulates that motels with significant participation in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program must be city-approved to receive payments.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: DeMaio

Date: 01/17/2025

The proposed bill introduces new regulations concerning homeless encampments and modifies existing Housing First policies. Firstly, it would prohibit homeless encampments within 500 feet of designated sensitive areas, such as schools and transit stops, and bans camping in public spaces if a homeless shelter bed is available locally. Regarding Housing First, the bill proposes removing the requirement for state agencies to include Housing First policies in their guidelines. Instead, it allows programs to evaluate applicants based on housing readiness and impose rules concerning sobriety, substance abuse, and mental health. It mandates that state program funding prioritize specific criteria, including drug testing, mandatory treatment, and work requirements. Additionally, the bill requires programs to include work opportunities and stipulates that motels with significant participation in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program must be city-approved to receive payments.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Gallagher

Date: 06/22/2025

Under existing law, school districts can establish a security department led by a chief of security and a school police department led by a chief of police to employ peace officers. This bill requires all school districts and charter schools to have at least one armed school resource officer on campus during regular school hours and any time students are present. This will be phased in by different grade levels. It imposes a new requirement that qualifies as a state-mandated local program, meaning the state must reimburse the related costs. If the Commission on State Mandates identifies state-mandated costs, reimbursement will occur according to established procedures.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Sanchez

Date: 06/22/2025

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is a voluntary organization recognized by law, comprising school personnel responsible for managing high school sports activities. The CIF is required to report to the Legislature and the Governor on its efforts toward gender equity in sports and compliance with Title IX, including the number of male and female student-athletes. This bill mandates that the CIF update its rules to prevent students assigned male at birth from participating on girls’ sports teams.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Krell

Date: 07/18/2025

The Lanterman-Petris-Short Act allows for the involuntary commitment and treatment of individuals with certain mental health disorders who may pose a danger to themselves or others or are gravely disabled. These individuals can be taken into custody by authorized individuals, such as peace officers or members of a mobile crisis team, and placed in an approved facility for up to 72 hours for evaluation and treatment. The county behavioral health director oversees designating and training professionals who can perform these actions, considering various factors like license types and clinical experience. Those responsible for detaining individuals under this act, such as peace officers, are exempt from criminal and civil liability if a release occurs at or before the end of the detention period. A new bill requires that county procedures also include emergency physicians in the list of eligible professionals and extends the same liability exemptions to them.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Gonzalez

Date: 06/22/2025

The text discusses changes proposed by the PrEPARE Act of 2025 to the regulation of health care service plans and insurers concerning antiretroviral drugs used for HIV/AIDS prevention. Under the existing law, these drugs cannot generally be subjected to prior authorization or step therapy, unless at least one therapeutically equivalent version is available without those requirements. The new bill aims to refine this by allowing prior authorization or step therapy only if a therapeutically equivalent version is offered without them, and clarifies that drugs of differing durations are not considered equivalent. Furthermore, the bill mandates coverage for non-self-administered antiretroviral drugs as both a medical and outpatient prescription benefit, and eliminates cost-sharing for these HIV prevention drugs covered under non-grandfathered health plans or policies when FDA-approved. Medi-Cal managed care plans are exempt from these rules. Additionally, any willful violation of these provisions by health care plans is considered a crime, introducing state-mandated local programs, though reimbursement for local agencies is not required.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Castillo

Date: 06/22/2025

This bill outlines several legal frameworks and a proposed bill, Yaeli's Law, which addresses issues related to child welfare, custody, and guardianship, particularly concerning gender identity. Under existing law, specific professionals, known as "mandated reporters," must report suspected child abuse or neglect. Failure to report is a misdemeanor. The law defines "neglect" and "severe neglect" concerning a child's care. Yaeli's Law seeks to clarify that actions such as using a child's legal name, referring to them by their birth sex pronouns, or not providing gender-affirming healthcare, are not considered child abuse, neglect, or a cause of severe emotional harm. It also introduces a private right of action for parents or guardians investigated under such claims, allowing them to seek damages and attorney’s fees. In custody cases, the bill specifies that these actions should not affect the court's assessment of a child's health, safety, and welfare. Concerning guardianship, the bill states that they do not constitute failure to provide necessary care or grounds for removing or replacing a guardian. The bill extends protection to prevent a child from being deemed a court-dependent based solely on the defined actions and provides legal recourse for parents or guardians in such situations.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Umberg

Date: 06/18/2025

The Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act allows for certain adults with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, to voluntarily enter into CARE agreements or court-ordered plans to receive support from county behavioral health agencies. These services can include medication, housing, and other aid. A petitioner, which can include behavioral health agency representatives or conservators, can initiate this process in civil court. The court can dismiss a case if there is not enough evidence that the person qualifies for CARE or proceed with hearings and agreements if there is. A new bill proposes that courts can determine if a person is eligible for CARE without a hearing and consider both diversion and CARE program eligibility when determining trial competence. The bill also allows medical records to be shared to assess eligibility for programs. Courts can also hold additional progress hearings and refer cases from felony proceedings to CARE programs. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can now prepare affidavits for CARE petitions, expanding the definition of a licensed behavioral health professional. This bill would increase responsibilities for county behavioral health agencies, and if state-mandated costs are involved, the state must reimburse local agencies.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Menjivar

Date: 06/18/2025

The Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act allows for involuntary commitment and treatment of individuals with certain mental disorders when they are a danger to themselves or others, or are deemed "gravely disabled." This term refers to individuals unable to meet basic needs due to mental health or severe substance use disorders. This bill expands "gravely disabled" to include those with chronic alcoholism. The definition of a "mental health disorder" would also align with the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act oversees services for adults with severe mental illness who are not stable in voluntary treatment and are at risk of severe decline without intervention. It allows for court-ordered CARE plans providing health services, medication, and housing. Originally, specific individuals, like family members or housemates, could initiate the CARE process, which county agencies then manage. The bill proposes including the original petitioner in notices and requires them to assist with the CARE agreements if applicable.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Allen

Date: 06/18/2025

This bill proposes changes to existing laws regarding mental health treatment and conservatorship in California. The Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act allows for the involuntary commitment of individuals with specific mental disorders for evaluation and treatment. The bill would require assessments to consider relevant information for developing aftercare plans when individuals can be served without detention. It also broadens the criteria for recommending LPS conservatorships and specifies that assessments must integrate information on alternatives to conservatorship, such as probate conservatorships, assisted outpatient treatment, and CARE programs. Additionally, it mandates the preparation of individualized treatment plans with specific goals, even allowing courts to correct treatment plan deficits and potentially refer individuals to alternative treatments. The proposed legislation also clarifies confidentiality issues under the CARE Act, allowing information to be shared only by court order or with consent. Lastly, the bill includes a mechanism for reimbursing local agencies for any state-mandated costs, as required by the California Constitution.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Stern

Date: 06/22/2025

The Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act allows specific adults to petition a civil court to form a voluntary agreement or a court-ordered plan for services provided by county behavioral health agencies. These services include medication, housing, and other supports for adults with severe mental illnesses, specifically those diagnosed with schizophrenia and related disorders. The new bill proposes to add bipolar I disorder to the criteria for receiving these services. This change would increase responsibilities for county behavioral health agencies, creating a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies for certain state-mandated costs, and procedures exist to handle such reimbursements. If this bill incurs state-mandated costs, reimbursement will be provided according to these established procedures.

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