Prior Priority Legislation

MHAC Position: Support

Author: Bonta

Date: 06/22/2025

This legal text outlines the procedures and requirements for student expulsions and readmissions in school districts, as updated by a recent bill. Under existing law, school district boards can expel a student for certain actions and must create a rehabilitation plan which can include tutoring or counseling. The expulsion remains until the board approves readmission, which hinges on the student meeting rehabilitation plan conditions and not being a danger to others. The bill introduces new requirements for rehabilitation plans, mandating periodic reviews, assessments 45 days before the expulsion term ends, and tailoring plans to address the behavior that led to expulsion. It also specifies that the boardshould help students access resources needed for rehabilitation and stipulates that financial or logistical barriers should not prevent readmission. The board must readmit the student unless they fail to meet the plan's conditions or pose new safety concerns. Additionally, the expulsion term can be extended under specific conditions. Furthermore, the bill requires county educational plans for expelled students to include potential special education services, diverse educational programs, a clear readmission process, and support for integration upon return. School districts must maintain and report new datarelated to expulsions, including average expulsion durations. If the bill incurs any state-mandated costs, the state will reimburse local agencies as determined by the Commission on State Mandates.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Quirk-Silva

Date: 06/18/2025

Existing law permits counties to form multidisciplinary teams aimed at quickly connecting homeless individuals to housing and services, allowing involved agencies to share confidential information to ensure continuity of care. The bill extends this to allow counties to establish behavioral health teams specifically for justice-involved individuals with mental illnesses. These teams can connect such individuals to supportive services while they are in jail and after release. It authorizes the sharing of confidential information under specific protocols to ensure coordinated care. The bill would also allow these teams to include additional qualified members for specific cases, requiring all team members to adhere tostrict privacy obligations and to keep information secure to protect privacy and confidentiality rights.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Bains

Date: 06/18/2025

The Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 mandates the licensing and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. The law requires plans to cover medically necessary treatments for mental health and substance use disorders similarly to other medical conditions, effective January 1, 2021. This bill stipulates that from May 1, 2022, the health care plans must fully reimburse out-of-pocket behavioral health care expenses and mental health prescriptions obtained from non-plan providers until the Department certifies the completion of a corrective action work plan. The bill outlines a specific process for reimbursement and imposes penalties, including additional interest and fines, for non-compliance. The plans must also report monthly to the Department. Violations would be criminalized, creating a new local program. The bill acknowledges the need for a special statute and specifies that no state reimbursement is required for local agencies or schools regarding these mandates.

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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: Support

Author: Wiener

Date: 06/22/2025

The existing law allows individuals, including those under 18, to petition the court for a change of gender and sex identifier, and possibly a name change at the same time. Currently, if a petitioner is under 18, their records are kept confidential, limiting access to the minor, their parents, and their attorney. The new bill extends these confidentiality protections to all ages and includes proceedings under different name change regulations. It also enforces restrictions on public posting of confidential records by anyone other than the petitioner and considers any violations an injury. Upon violation, the bill allows individuals or entities to seek legal remedies for enforcement, including injunctive or declaratory relief and mandates awarding attorney's fees and costs to prevailing plaintiffs in such cases. Additionally, petitioners harmed by unauthorized disclosures can file civil actions for damages and legal fees. The Judicial Council must develop relevant forms and rules by July 1, 2026. This bill emphasizes the privacy rights of transgender individuals by protecting their intimate information. It includes legislative findings supporting its terms and asserts it as an urgency statute, taking effect immediately.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Grayson

Date: 06/22/2025

The existing law outlines how public postsecondary institutions and budgetary agencies provide services to students with disabilities, ensuring state-funded activities are directly related to students' verifiable disabilities. It mandates the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to establish regulations for funding specialized services to disabled students, covering excess costs that exceed specified budgets. The Student Aid Commission administers state financial aid programs for all postsecondary education. The new bill would amend the legislative intent by including costs for ongoing assessments and documentation to define specific disabilities and support academic accommodations.Starting July 1, 2027, the bill would require the California State University Trustees, and request the University of California Regents, to fund diagnostic assessments for learning disabilities for students receiving financial aid, unless covered by health insurance. State funds would cover actual costs, and institutions must document expenses to the Student Aid Commission, which would oversee reimbursements. Institutions must also advertise this financial support on their websites.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Becker

Date: 06/18/2025

The Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 oversees health care service plans through the Department of Managed Health Care and makes intentional violations a crime. Health insurers are regulated by the Department of Insurance, and both entities can conduct utilization reviews or management by licensed professionals to assess health service requests based on medical necessity. A new bill mandates that by July 1, 2026, these departments give guidelines to health plans and insurers to report statistics on prior authorization for health services, including approval rates. Plans and insurers must submit these reports by December 31, 2026. By July 1, 2027, health services with approval ratesof 90% or more will be identified and listed. By January 1, 2028, prior authorization will no longer be needed for these frequently approved services unless fraud or inappropriate care is detected. The impact of this change will be assessed and reported within four years. The provisions will terminate on January 1, 2034. Violations of this bill will be considered a crime, and while the bill does not require state reimbursement to local agencies, it establishes procedures for certain cost reimbursements.

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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: Support

Author: Becker

Date: 06/18/2025

The bill proposes the creation of a Virtual Health Hub for Rural Communities Pilot Program, managed by the State Department of Public Health, to expand health services for farmworkers in rural areas. It mandates the distribution of grants to partnerships of two community-based organizations to set up virtual health hubs, which will include computers, Wi-Fi, and telemedicine facilities. Priority for grants will go to organizations with a history of serving underserved communities. Grant recipients need to establish these hubs in two rural communities and report program details to the department. The program's implementation depends on accumulating at least $2,000,000 in the Virtual Health Hub Fund, without using General Fund money. Additionally, two years postimplementation, the department must report collected data to the Legislature. The provisions will be repealed once specified conditions are fulfilled.

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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: Support

Author: Menjivar

Date: 06/18/2025

The Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 and existing laws regulate health care service plans and health insurers, while the Medi-Cal program provides health care to low-income individuals. Health plans can use utilization controls based on medical necessity, and they must provide cultural competency training, especially for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex individuals by March 2025. The proposed bill mandates health care plans and policies from a specified date to cover a 12-month supply of FDA approved hormone therapy prescribed by a network provider. It includes similar coverageunder Medi-Cal but exempts Medi-Cal managed care plans. The bill prohibits health care discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, including gender identity. Violations by health care plans would constitute a crime. Pharmacists must dispense up to a 12-month supply of FDA-approved hormone therapy or contraceptives upon request, unless exceptions apply. The bill does not require state reimbursement for local costs and will take effect immediately as an urgency statute. The provisions expire on January 1, 2035.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Menjivar

Date: 06/22/2025

The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018, approved as Proposition 1, allows the issuance of $4 billion in bonds to fund various housing programs, including assistance for veterans' housing. In parallel, the state has the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention program, aiming to help communities address homelessness through grants for regional coordination and local capacity expansion based on best practices for transitioning people into permanent housing. This bill, the Youth Housing Bond Act of 2025, seeks to authorize an unspecified amount of bonds to fund a new Youth Housing Program. This program would enable the Department of Housing and Community Development to allocate funds to local agencies, nonprofits, and joint ventures for developing youth centers and housing. The bill would be presented to voters in the November 3, 2026, general election and is designed to take immediate effect as an urgent measure.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wiener

Date: 06/22/2025

The text discusses a proposed bill related to the protection of gender-affirming healthcare and information privacy in California. The bill seeks to strengthen existing laws by prohibiting the issuance of subpoenas or sharing of medical information that could interfere with an individual's right to receive gender-affirming healthcare. It emphasizes not cooperating with out-of-state investigations based on laws that could criminalize such healthcare. Furthermore, the bill addresses the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), proposing restrictions on sharing data from this system in support of legal actions based on other states' laws that could impose liability related to protected healthcare activities. Unauthorized access or sharing of CURES data would be criminalized. Additionally, the bill incorporates changes contingent on the enactment of another bill, AB 82, and specifies that no state reimbursement is required for its implementation. It declares itself as an urgency statute, effective immediately upon passing.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Rubio

Date: 06/22/2025

Existing law mandates that the curriculum for grades 1 to 6 includes specific study areas, such as health, and for grades 7 to 12, includes areas like English, social sciences, and mathematics. This bill proposes adding mental health education to the health curriculum for grades 1 to 6 and as a component for grades 7 to 12. The bill could require local educational agencies to take on additional responsibilities, which would qualify as a state-mandated local program. According to the California Constitution, if the state mandates costs, it must reimburse local agencies and school districts. The bill states that if the Commission on State Mandates identifies state-imposed costs, reimbursement will follow established legal procedures.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wahab

Date: 06/22/2025

Current law mandates that law enforcement agencies consider certain best practices for handling body-worn camera data, including setting retention periods for recorded data. By July 1, 2026, this bill will require these agencies to update their body-worn camera policies to guide officers on when to temporarily limit recording during situations like medical or psychological evaluations that could embarrass patients. Additionally, these policy updates must include procedures for emergency personnel to request the redaction of recordings involving evaluations or treatments. This requirement will create a state-mandated local program, which mandates that the state reimburse local agencies for complying with these new requirements if the costs are determined to be state-mandated, as specified by the California Constitution and supporting statutory provisions.

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