California Mental Health Policy Landscape (2025-2026)

Purpose of This Legislative Monitoring List

This document provides a structured overview of major California state legislation affecting behavioral
health, homelessness, youth mental health, treatment infrastructure, justice diversion programs, and
immigrant family stability during the 2025–2026 legislative session.

The goal of this monitoring list is to help policymakers, healthcare providers, community organizations, educators, and faith-based leaders:

Understand key behavioral-health legislation in California
Monitor policy changes affecting treatment access and mental-health systems
Evaluate how legislation may impact communities in Los Angeles County and the San Gabriel
Valley
Support informed advocacy and collaboration around behavioral-health reform

California is currently undergoing one of the most significant behavioral-health system transformations in decades. Monitoring these bills helps ensure community voices, service providers, and families affected by mental illness remain engaged in the policy process.

Official California legislative information portal: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

Priority 1: Core System Reform and Implementation

Note: These measures shape the statewide behavioral-health structure, treatment capacity, and implementation environment for 2025–2026.

SB 326 – Behavioral Health Services Act

Author: Sen. Scott Wiener – Democrat
Status: Chaptered (2023); currently guiding implementation
Why it matters: Restructures California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) framework to prioritize treatment access, housing, and coordinated behavioral-health services for individuals with serious mental illness.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB326
Author contact: https://sd11.senate.ca.gov

AB 531 – Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023

Author: Asm. Jacqui Irwin – Democrat
Status: Chaptered (2023)
Why it matters: Creates a bond funding framework to expand behavioral-health treatment infrastructure including psychiatric beds, crisis stabilization programs, and community treatment facilities.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB531
Author contact: https://a42.asmdc.org

SB 102 – Budget Act of 2025

Author: Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
Status: Active budget legislation
Why it matters: Budget legislation carries appropriations and implementation funding for behavioral-health programs, treatment expansion, and infrastructure investments.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB102

SB 862 – Health Omnibus Bill

Author: Senate Health Committee
Status: Pending legislative action
Why it matters: Omnibus health legislation typically includes technical updates affecting behavioral-health policy, program oversight, and data coordination across systems.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB862

AB 348 – Full-Service Partnerships

Author: Asm. Krell – Democrat
Status: Chaptered (2025)
Why it matters: Supports expansion of Full-Service Partnership programs, which provide intensive treatment and supportive services for individuals with severe mental illness who frequently cycle through homelessness, hospitals, or the justice system.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB348

SB 43 – Behavioral Health / Expanded Grave Disability Standards

Author: Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman – Democrat
Status: Chaptered (2023)
Why it matters: Expands the definition of “grave disability” to include severe substance-use disorder and inability to provide for personal safety or medical care.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB43
Author contact: https://sd05.senate.ca.gov

Priority 2: Homelessness, Housing, and Treatment-Linked Response

These bills connect mental health policy with housing, homelessness prevention, and treatment coordination.

SB 16 – Ending Street Homelessness Act

Author: Sen. Catherine Blakespear – Democrat
Status: Active
Why it matters: Requires local governments to develop comprehensive strategies to reduce unsheltered homelessness and improve accountability in housing programs.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB16
Author contact: https://sd38.senate.ca.gov

SB 492 – Youth Housing Bond Act of 2026

Author: Sen. Caroline Menjivar – Democrat
Status: Active
Why it matters: Proposes a statewide bond to fund youth housing and supportive services including mental-health care for vulnerable transition-age youth.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB492
Author contact: https://sd20.senate.ca.gov

AB 520 – Homelessness and Mental Health Funding

Author: Asm. Castillo
Status: Died in committee
Why it matters: Attempted to improve transparency regarding state funding programs addressing homelessness and behavioral-health services.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB520

AB 1105 – Conservatorships

Author: Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva – Democrat
Status: Senate Appropriations
Why it matters: Addresses reforms to conservatorship laws affecting individuals with severe psychiatric disability.
Bill link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1105
Author contact: https://a67.asmdc.org