Existing law establishes the Department of Industrial Relations in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and provides that one of the functions of the department is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of California, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment. This bill would require the department, in consultation with the Department of Managed Health Care, the Department of Insurance, the Department of Health Care Access and Information, and the Office of Health Care Affordability, to conduct a comparable worth study to examine and compare compensation and reimbursement for behavioral health providers with compensation and reimbursement for similarly situated medical-surgical providers. The bill would require the study to analyze compensation and reimbursement across specified payment flows, including payments made by health care service plans and health insurers directly to behavioral health providers and medical-surgical providers, and payments made to intermediaries and health systems for behavioral health services and medical-surgical services. The bill would require the department to take certain actions in conducting the study, including developing a methodology for determining which behavioral health provider roles are comparable to which medical-surgical provider roles. The bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to report certain data to the department with respect to payments made directly to providers and payments made to intermediaries and health systems. The bill would also require specified intermediaries and health systems to report certain data to the department relating to payments received and payments made. The bill would make an entity that fails to comply with the reporting requirements subject to civil penalty, as prescribed. The bill would require the department and the other state entities listed above to protect the confidentiality of any propriety or commercially sensitive information submitted pursuant to the bill, as provided. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature containing the findings of the study. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law, the Trial Jury Selection and Management Act, governs the selection of jurors and formation of trial juries for civil and criminal cases in all trial courts of the state. Existing law requires the judge in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony, prior to discharging the jury, to provide specified information to trial jurors regarding mental health awareness, including information about stress relief and symptoms that may be experienced following exposure to trauma. This bill would authorize the County of Santa Cruz and two other counties, selected by the Judicial Council, to conduct a pilot program for the provision of no-cost mental health services to jurors and alternate jurors following the receipt of a verdict in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony, as defined. The bill would require the Judicial Council to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the behavioral health directors of the participating counties for the purposes of providing the above-described mental health services, and would require the memorandum of understanding to include, among other things, the number of no-cost mental health sessions available to jurors. The bill would require the participating counties to terminate the pilot program no later than January 1, 2034, and would require the counties to report specified information regarding the pilot program to the Judicial Council. The bill would require the Judicial Council to provide a report to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2035, regarding the pilot program, and would require the report to include the number of jurors who were offered mental health resources pursuant to this program and recommendations for improving outreach and access to mental health services for jurors. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2036.
Senate Resolution 131 proclaims September 2026 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in California, aiming to reduce stigma and promote access to mental health services. The resolution highlights the critical role of community-based providers, specifically acknowledging the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for their contributions to crisis care. It affirms that support is available to all Californians through resources such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Existing law authorizes the court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant diagnosed with a mental disorder if the defendant satisfies certain eligibility requirements and if the court determines that the defendant is suitable for diversion. Existing law provides that a defendant is eligible for diversion if they have been diagnosed with certain mental disorders and the court finds that the mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the charged offense, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the disorder was not a motivating, causal, or contributing factor to the defendant's involvement in the alleged offense. Existing law excludes a defendant from diversion for specified charged offenses, including, among others, murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, or continuous sexual abuse of a child, as specified. Existing law prohibits a person from being tried or adjudged to punishment while that person is mentally incompetent, establishes a process by which a defendant's mental competency is evaluated, and requires a court, before ordering a defendant to be committed to the State Department of State Hospitals or other treatment facility, to hear and determine whether the defendant lacks the capacity to make decisions regarding the administration of antipsychotic medication, as specified. This bill would revise the eligibility requirement by prohibiting the court from finding the defendant eligible solely based on the defendant's diagnosis of a mental disorder and would additionally require the court to find that the defendant is not mentally incompetent. The bill would require the defendant, in order to be eligible, to provide a written diagnosis of a mental disorder, from within the preceding 2 years, to the court and the prosecution, as specified. The bill would additionally exclude a defendant from diversion if they were charged with theft or an attempted theft offense, if the crime was carried out in a manner demonstrating planning, sophistication, or professionalism. The bill would also, unless the parties stipulate to defendant's placement in diversion, prohibit placement if the defendant has been charged with a violent felony, as specified, or certain felony offenses involving domestic violence. The bill would remove the court's authority to grant diversion or other forms of treatment when a defendant is mentally incompetent. Existing law prohibits a person subject to specified protective orders from owning a firearm or ammunition. Existing law requires a person subject to those orders to relinquish any firearms or ammunition they own. This bill would authorize the court, for a defendant charged with a crime involving domestic violence that has completed mental health diversion, to issue an order, for up to 10 years, restraining the defendant from contact with the victim, as specified. The bill would additionally require an individual subject to a protective order through the above-described provisions to relinquish their firearms or ammunition. The California Constitution entitles the victim of a crime to restitution. Existing law requires the court in each criminal case to order a convicted defendant to pay full restitution to the victim and a separate restitution fine, as specified. This bill would require that the court order restitution to the victim or victims if a defendant participates in a diversion program. This bill would make other conforming changes.
Under existing law, the State Department of Health Care Services is responsible for administering prevention, treatment, and recovery services for alcohol and drug abuse and problem gambling. Existing law defines "alcohol and other drug services" as a service that is designed to encourage recovery from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and "alcohol and other drug abuse program" as a collection of alcohol and other drug services that are coordinated to achieve specified objectives. Existing law also provides for the licensure and regulation of adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery and treatment facilities by the department and authorizes the department to enforce those provisions. This bill, the Body Brokering and Patient Referral Integrity Act, would prohibit any person from offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving a commission, benefit, bonus, or other form of remuneration or from engaging in a split-fee arrangement to induce a referral to a residential treatment facility or in return for acceptance of an individual into a residential treatment facility. The bill would make a violation of that provision a misdemeanor. The bill would define a "residential treatment facility" to include any sober living home, group home, recovery residence, residential care facility, or similar facility providing housing or residential services, in connection with alcohol or substance use disorder treatment or behavioral health recovery. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish and maintain classes for incarcerated persons utilizing institutional personnel or entering into an agreement with the governing board of a school district or private school. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for incarcerated persons and parolees. Existing law requires that plan to include, among other things, filling vacant state staff positions that provide direct and indirect rehabilitation services, or obtaining services from local governments and contractors to assist with treatment for parolees and incarcerated persons. This bill would require the department to establish a 3-year pilot program at 2 institutions that would provide access to specified mental health therapy for certain incarcerated persons not classified by the department to receive mental health treatment from the institution. The bill would require communications during therapy sessions, as specified, between the incarcerated person and assigned therapist to be confidential. The bill would require the California Correctional Health Care Services to be the custodian of records for treatment records generated under this pilot program. The bill would require the department to report certain information to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, from March 1, 2028, to March 1, 2031. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Existing law, the Vocational Nursing Practice Act, establishes the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California to license and regulate vocational nurses and psychiatric technicians. Chapter 624 of the Statutes of 2022 (SB 1436) limited the respiratory tasks and services that a licensed vocational nurse may perform to basic respiratory tasks and services that do not require a respiratory assessment and only require manual, technical skills, or data collection, as identified by the Respiratory Care Board of California, as specified. SB 1436 and subsequent legislation have created exemptions for a licensed vocational nurse to perform respiratory tasks and services under specified circumstances that vary depending on the task or service, the nurse's training, demonstrated competency, and employer, and the setting in which the task or service is performed, as provided. SB 1436 became effective on January 1, 2023. This bill, instead, would authorize a licensed vocational nurse to perform respiratory tasks and services consistent with the scope of practice of a licensed vocational nurse, as it existed on December 31, 2022. The bill would make various conforming changes, including removal of the above-described exemptions.
Existing law generally provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the board. Existing law authorizes the board to grant for pecuniary loss, when the board determines that it will best aid the person seeking compensation, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to reimburse, among other things, the amount of medical or medical-related expenses and outpatient psychiatric, psychological, or other mental health counseling-related expenses incurred by the victim or derivative victim, as specified. This bill would also authorize the board to reimburse the expense of tuition at an educational institution, not to exceed $10,000, to a full- or part-time student who is a victim of sexual assault or violence if the victim is unable to continue attendance or suffers an academic setback, as described. The bill would authorize the board to limit compensation to the term the crime occurred and the immediately following term, and would require the calculation of an award based on certain factors, as specified. By expanding the board's authorization for use of moneys in the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
This bill is a procedural resolution that proclaims September 2026 as Recovery Month in California. It aims to honor individuals in recovery, service providers, and communities dedicated to treating substance use disorders and mental health conditions. The text also highlights recent state investments under Proposition 1, which have funded new behavioral health facilities and treatment slots across the state.
California Assembly Resolution 140 designates August 2026 as Children's Get Offline and Get Outdoors Month to promote awareness of the benefits of screen-free play for child development. The resolution cites research linking excessive social media use and reduced free play time to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other behavioral issues among teenagers. It encourages families and communities to support unstructured outdoor activities and highlights ongoing federal efforts to protect children's mental health through technology guardrails.
