SB-27
Health & Public Health

Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program.

Engrossed
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
0
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Expands the CARE Court program to include individuals with mood disorders and psychotic features.
  • Authorizes courts to conduct initial hearings simultaneously with eligibility determinations to reduce delays.
  • Requires comprehensive data collection and reporting to monitor program effectiveness and equity.
  • Allows medical records sharing between behavioral health agencies and courts to improve care coordination.

Summary

Senator Umberg's amendments to California's Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program expand eligibility criteria and streamline procedures for connecting individuals experiencing severe mental illness with community-based treatment and support services.

The legislation broadens diagnostic eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features, while maintaining exclusions for psychosis related to current intoxication. It authorizes courts to conduct initial petition hearings concurrently with prima facie determinations when specific requirements are met, potentially expediting access to services.

The bill enables confidential information sharing between county behavioral health agencies, jail medical providers, and courts to assess individuals' eligibility for behavioral health programs. It adds nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the definition of licensed medical professionals who can provide services under the program.

New provisions allow courts to refer individuals from felony proceedings to the CARE program and permit additional progress hearings beyond the initial 60-day review. The amendments establish comprehensive data collection and reporting requirements, including participant demographics, service delivery metrics, and outcome measures to evaluate program effectiveness and identify potential disparities.

County behavioral health agencies must submit detailed annual reports to the Department of Health Care Services examining factors such as housing status, emergency department visits, law enforcement encounters, and treatment adherence among program participants. The legislation requires courts to consider all treatment options before dismissing criminal charges and maintains existing confidentiality protections for CARE program proceedings.

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary
Hearing scheduled for , State Capitol, Room 437
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB27 Umberg Urgency Clause
Senate Judiciary Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Judiciary Hearing
Do pass
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Rebecca Bauer-KahanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Isaac BryanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Damon ConnollyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 13 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 3
Select All Legislators
Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Rebecca Bauer-KahanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Isaac BryanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Damon ConnollyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane DixonR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Bill EssayliR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Blanca PachecoD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane PapanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Kate SanchezR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Rick ZburD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
John HarabedianD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Catherine StefaniD
Assemblymember
Committee Member

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Tom Umberg
Tom UmbergD
California State Senator
40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/27/2025)

Latest Voting History

May 27, 2025
PASS
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
390140PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Expands the CARE Court program to include individuals with mood disorders and psychotic features.
  • Authorizes courts to conduct initial hearings simultaneously with eligibility determinations to reduce delays.
  • Requires comprehensive data collection and reporting to monitor program effectiveness and equity.
  • Allows medical records sharing between behavioral health agencies and courts to improve care coordination.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Tom Umberg
Tom UmbergD
California State Senator

Summary

Senator Umberg's amendments to California's Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program expand eligibility criteria and streamline procedures for connecting individuals experiencing severe mental illness with community-based treatment and support services.

The legislation broadens diagnostic eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features, while maintaining exclusions for psychosis related to current intoxication. It authorizes courts to conduct initial petition hearings concurrently with prima facie determinations when specific requirements are met, potentially expediting access to services.

The bill enables confidential information sharing between county behavioral health agencies, jail medical providers, and courts to assess individuals' eligibility for behavioral health programs. It adds nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the definition of licensed medical professionals who can provide services under the program.

New provisions allow courts to refer individuals from felony proceedings to the CARE program and permit additional progress hearings beyond the initial 60-day review. The amendments establish comprehensive data collection and reporting requirements, including participant demographics, service delivery metrics, and outcome measures to evaluate program effectiveness and identify potential disparities.

County behavioral health agencies must submit detailed annual reports to the Department of Health Care Services examining factors such as housing status, emergency department visits, law enforcement encounters, and treatment adherence among program participants. The legislation requires courts to consider all treatment options before dismissing criminal charges and maintains existing confidentiality protections for CARE program proceedings.

40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/27/2025)

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary
Hearing scheduled for , State Capitol, Room 437
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB27 Umberg Urgency Clause
Senate Judiciary Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Judiciary Hearing
Do pass
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Latest Voting History

May 27, 2025
PASS
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
390140PASS

Contacts

Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Rebecca Bauer-KahanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Isaac BryanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Damon ConnollyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 13 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 3
Select All Legislators
Profile
Ash KalraD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Rebecca Bauer-KahanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Isaac BryanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Damon ConnollyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane DixonR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Bill EssayliR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Blanca PachecoD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane PapanD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Kate SanchezR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Rick ZburD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
John HarabedianD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Catherine StefaniD
Assemblymember
Committee Member