CaliforniaCommunity Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program.
What it does
Existing law, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, authorizes specified persons, including a person with whom the respondent resides, family members, and first responders, among others, to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan and implement services, to be provided by county behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, including stabilization medication, housing, and other enumerated services, to adults who are currently experiencing a severe mental illness and have a diagnosis identified in the disorder class schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and who meet other specified criteria.
More detail
This bill would authorize a first responder to contact the county behavioral health agency in the county in which the individual resides or is found to request the agency file a petition to commence the CARE process. The bill would require the agency to review the request and determine whether to file a petition within 30 business days. The bill would require the agency, upon completion of the review, to notify the first responder that made the referral of specified information, including whether or not a petition was filed. Because the bill would require a higher level of service from county agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
This bill would require the department to create a referral form to be used by the first responders and would require the department to issue guidance on the procedure to request that the agency file a petition to commence the CARE process. The bill would also require the agency to include specified data in their annual report to the department.
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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 667, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 4Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 28Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB989 Blakespear et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 25In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 989 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Patel. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 25Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 6529.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jun 23Coauthors revised.
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 18Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 17From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 16).Major
- Jun 16
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 8Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- May 27In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB989 Blakespear et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 27Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 4497.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4260.) (May 14).Major
- May 8Set for hearing May 14.
- May 4May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 24Set for hearing May 4.
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 3977.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 17Set for hearing April 21.
- Apr 16From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Apr 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 0. Page 3901.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Apr 15
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 15.
- Apr 8Re-referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- Mar 19From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Feb 18Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Feb 9From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 8.
- Feb 5Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced