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2026 Legislation Decisions Status
| Author | Bill | What It Does | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blakespear / Dixon | SB 16 | Requires counties to have formal 5150 designation policies and makes ER physicians eligible for designation. | Active Bill - In Floor Process |
| Blakespear | SB 561 | Administrative changes involving county public guardians; does not change commitment standards. | Active Bill - In Floor Process |
|
Umberg / Blakespear Coauthors: Sen. Arreguín; Asm. Patel & Dixon |
SB 989 | Lets first responders ask county behavioral health to file CARE petitions and requires counties to review the request. | Active Bill - In Floor Process |
| Choi | SB 1242 | Requires the court to allow the petitioner to remain involved throughout the CARE Court process unless the judge finds that participation would likely be harmful to the respondent’s treatment or well-being. | Active Bill - In Floor Process |
| Blakespear |
SB 1016
CSSC Priority
|
Creates a pathway from CARE Court to higher-level intervention; adds a 5200 evaluation check box on the petition; and allows a CARE Court judge to order a mental-health evaluation when a person appears too ill for CARE Court, creating a possible pathway toward LPS proceedings when legal criteria are met. | Active Bill - In Floor Process |
| Umberg / Blakespear | SB 28 | Requires county behavioral health to request a CARE Court status hearing when someone is not following their CARE plan and is showing psychiatric deterioration or decompensation. Requires the court to order an LPS evaluation if the person is terminated from CARE Court. Allows the court to order a grave-disability evaluation during CARE Court or at the one-year status stage in certain situations. Removes the current six-month limit on using failed CARE Court participation as a factor in later LPS hearings and allows more remote appearances in CARE Act proceedings. | Held in Appropriations |
| Krell | AB 1825 | Aimed primarily at improving mental-health treatment and continuity of care for people leaving prison or state hospitals, particularly people with serious mental illness. | Held in Committee |
Continuing the Fight for Family Involvement in CARE Court
Families should not be pushed to the sidelines when a loved one is experiencing serious mental illness. CSSC continues to advocate for meaningful family involvement in CARE Court and for policies that recognize families and caregivers as essential partners in treatment, recovery, and continuity of care.
Our work during the last legislative effort helped bring attention to the barriers families face when trying to provide critical information, participate in the process, and advocate for a loved one who may be too ill to recognize their own need for care.
Although that legislative effort did not make it across the finish line, the work is not over. We are using what we learned to strengthen the next effort and will continue working with legislators, families, advocates, and partner organizations to advance meaningful reform.
Your Voice Made a Difference
To everyone who called legislators, sent letters, shared personal experiences, attended meetings, and helped educate policymakers: thank you. Those actions helped ensure that the experiences of families affected by serious mental illness were heard in Sacramento.
Legislative change often takes more than one attempt. Every conversation builds awareness, every personal story gives policymakers a clearer picture of what families are facing, and every advocate strengthens our collective voice.
What You Can Do Now
Stay informed. Watch our Current Legislative Priorities above and our newsletter, California Communiqué, for new bills and action alerts.
Know your representatives. Identify your California Assemblymember and State Senator so you're ready when an important vote approaches.
Share your experience. Personal stories help legislators understand how policies affect people with serious mental illness and the families trying to help them.
Become a Catalyst for Change
The 'Standard of Neglect' persists because for too long, the silence has been allowed to stand. But medical stability is a right, not a political debate, and accountability is not a request—it is a mandate. This page is designed to equip you as a Catalyst for Change. You are the spark that turns lived experience into legislative fire. Whether you are tracking a legislator’s voting record or joining our National Coalition, you are the force that will dismantle systemic failure at its source. The silence ends with you.
Shatter the Media Silence: Expose the $343B Neglect Tax
Society calls the cycling of severe brain illnesses through jail cells and sidewalk tents a tragedy, but we know it is a documented policy choice.
It's time to stop screaming into a medical void and start using our voices for medical accountability. Local newspapers are a good place to start: when you come across a news story related to mental illness, use it as an opportunity to educate the public on the realities of severe mental illness.
The Catalyst’s Education: Master the Policy Fight
Knowledge is the first step toward systemic reform. Compiled by our Policy Action Committee (PAC), our Guide to Advocating for Policy Reform is your compass for navigating the path to legislative equity. This 10-page manual provides the essential framework needed to become an effective advocate for your family member. Download your intelligence below—no sign-up required.