AB 1001 (Haney, D-San Francisco)
Oppose
Failed to pass the Senate Health Committee by the July 3 deadline.
AB 1001 would have required general acute care hospitals to adopt behavioral health emergency service policies related to minimum staffing requirements, response times, and data management and reporting. This bill would have established the Behavioral Health Emergency Response and Training Fund to support staffing increases in public and non-profit general acute care hospitals.
AB 1316 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks; Ward, D-San Diego)
Sponsor
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 1316 requires that Medi-Cal managed care plans pay hospital emergency departments for serving Medi-Cal beneficiaries experiencing a mental health crisis. It also ensures people who need access to a mental health inpatient bed are transferred promptly to the care they need, regardless of whether they are on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
AB 2154 (Berman, D-Palo Alto)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 2154 requires hospitals to provide a copy of the state-published Patients’ Rights Handbook to certain family members with the consent of individuals on involuntary psychiatric holds.
AB 2161 (Arambula, D-Fresno)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 2161 would have promoted the widespread availability of evidence-based services to treat the early signs of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. The bill would have required the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to create a strategic plan that would identify opportunities to improve California’s response to early psychosis. It would have also required the Department of Health Care Services to partner with the University of California to develop a Center for Mental Health Wellness and Innovations.
AB 2700 (Gabriel, D-Encino)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2700 would have promoted expanded use of behavioral health facilities, rather than emergency departments (EDs), for individuals with behavioral health needs. It would have required the Emergency Medical Services Authority to publish descriptions of all local agencies that are serving as, or could serve as, alternatives to hospital EDs, including psychiatric health facilities, psychiatric hospitals, sobering centers, and crisis stabilization units. The bill would also have required each local emergency medical services agency to develop protocols for transporting individuals to alternate destinations.
SB 1012 (Wiener, D-San Francisco)
Follow
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1012 would have enacted the “Regulated Psychedelic Facilitators Act” and the “Regulated Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Act” to establish a state-regulated program that provides adults safe access to psychedelic-assisted behavioral health therapy.
SB 1017 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Neutral
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1017 would have required the Department of Public Health, Department of Health Care Services, and Department of Social Services to develop a solution to collect, aggregate, and display information about beds, including acute psychiatric beds, in 13 types of behavioral health treatment facilities. This bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
SB 1082 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1082 would have expanded the availability of home-like care settings for individuals living with a serious mental illness by establishing a new residential model called an Augmented Residential Care Facility. The bill would have strengthened the continuum of community-based care options for individuals living with the most significant mental health needs.
SB 1184 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1184 authorizes administration of antipsychotic medication to a person who is involuntarily detained for evaluation and treatment for the total duration of their treatment.
SB 1238 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1238 expands the definition of a “designated facility” in the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act to include facilities that both (1) have appropriate services, personnel, and security to safely treat individuals being held involuntarily and (2) are licensed or certified as a skilled-nursing facility, mental health rehabilitation center, or a facility capable of providing medically monitored or managed intensive inpatient treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). In addition, this bill requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to authorize licensed psychiatric health facilities and licensed mental health rehabilitation centers to admit individuals diagnosed only with a SUD. This bill requires DHCS to ensure that designated facilities are reimbursed for evaluation and treatment of stand-alone SUDs at rates equivalent to those provided for evaluation and treatment of mental health disorders.