In this past legislative year, Governor Newsom signed over 20 bills pertaining to behavioral health into law. Below outlines each bill—who wrote it, what it does, and the populations it impacts.
We defined “behavioral health-related” as bills that have a direct or indirect impact on the mental health and substance use systems of care and/or individuals experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.
*Italicized bills with an asterisk are bills the Steinberg Institute supported.
Assembly Bills (AB)
AB 56: social media: warning labels
Author: Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (District 16, San Ramon)
Co-authors: Buffy Wicks
- What it does: Requires covered social-media platforms to display a “black box” warning stating that social media “is associated with significant mental health harms and has not been proven safe for young users.” The warning must appear when a user first accesses the platform each day, then again after 3 hours of cumulative active use, and thereafter at least once per hour of cumulative active use.
- Who it impacts: Children on social media; social media platforms
AB 309: Hypodermic needles and syringes.
Author: Rick Chavez Zbur (District 51, Los Angeles)
Co-authors: Sade Elhawary, Mark Gonzalez, Corey Jackson, John Laird, Steve Padilla, Sasha Perez, Scott Wiener
- What it does: Permanently removes the sunset on California’s law allowing adults 18+ to purchase or possess hypodermic needles and syringes without a prescription, and authorizes physicians and pharmacists to furnish them for personal use.
- Requires pharmacies to continue providing information on safe syringe disposal, HIV and hepatitis C testing and treatment, and access to substance-use treatment — reinforcing the state’s harm-reduction and disease-prevention goals.
- Who it impacts: Adults in California; pharmacies
AB 348: Full service partnerships*
Author: Maggy Krell (District 6, Sacramento)
- What it does: Establishes presumptive eligibility criteria for enrollment into Full Service Partnerships (FSP) — California’s most intensive “whatever it takes” mental health programs — so that individuals cycling through homelessness, jails, and hospitals can access care immediately
- Who it impacts: People with serious mental illness (SMI), those leaving jails/hospitals, people experiencing homelessness; county behavioral health plans and FSP providers
The Steinberg Institute sponsored AB 348. Learn more about the bill here.
AB 366: Ignition interlock devices.
Author: Cottie Petrie-Norris (District 73, Irvine), Rhodesia Ransom (District 13, Stockton)
Co-authors: Juan Alanis, Bob Archuleta, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Phillip Chen, Heath Flora, James Gallagher, Mark Gonzalez, John Harabedian, Maggy Krell, Tom Lackey, Stephanie Nguyen, Blanca Pacheco, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Chris Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Pilar Schiavo, Esmeralda Soria, Catherine Stefani, Greg Wallis
- What it does: Requires the installation and use of ignition interlock devices (IIDs) by all persons convicted of driving under the influence, makes the prior pilot program permanent, extends the IID law beyond January 1, 2033, and adjusts fees/costs based on income.
- Who it impacts: Individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in California
AB 416: Involuntary confinement*
Author: Maggy Krell (District 6, Sacramento)
- What it does: Amends the Lanterman‑Petris‑Short Act’s involuntary commitment provisions to explicitly require each county behavioral health director to designate trained emergency physicians (in addition to peace officers and mobile crisis team members) as professionals eligible to place individuals into 72-hour holds
- grants these emergency physicians immunity from civil and criminal liability when performing a detainment consistent with the law
- Who it impacts: Emergency department physicians; individuals in psychiatric crisis; county behavioral health departments; hospitals
AB 424: Alcohol and other drug programs: complaints.
Author: Laurie Davies (District 74, Oceanside)
- What it does: Directs DHCS to acknowledge public complaints about licensed or unlicensed Alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment facilities within 10 days and notify complainants when investigations close and if violations were found.
- Who it impacts: Residents & families using SUD facilities; complainants; DHCS licensing & enforcement; AOD facility operators
AB 440: State bridges and overpasses: suicide prevention.
Author: James Ramos (District 45, San Bernardino)
- What it does: Requires Caltrans, in consultation with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and stakeholders, to identify best practices for suicide countermeasures on bridges and overpasses by July 1, 2028.
- Who it impacts: Individuals at risk of suicide; Caltrans; local agencies; behavioral health & suicide prevention organizations.
AB 489: Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
Author: Mia Bonta (District 18, Oakland)
Co-authors: Dawn Addis, Angelique Ashby, Jasmeet Bains, Marc Berman, Josh Lowenthal, Gail Pellerin, Akilah Weber Pierson, Lori Wilson
- What it does: Prohibits AI or generative AI systems from using terms, letters, or phrases that imply they’re licensed health-care professionals, extending title-protection laws to developers/deployers of AI-based health-care advice.
- Authorizes the relevant health-care professional boards to enforce violations against entities that misrepresent AI systems as licensed practitioners, treating each misuse of prohibited wording as a separate offense
- Who it impacts: Developers and deployers of AI or generative AI systems in healthcare, licensing boards for health professions, patients especially children and people with low digital literacy
AB 492: Alcohol and other drug programs.
Author: Avelino Valencia (District 68, Anaheim)
Co-authors: Laurie Davies (District 74, Oceanside), Diane Dixon (District 72, Newport Beach), Cottie Petrie-Norris (District 73, Irvine), Kate Sanchez (District 71, Rancho Santa Margarita), Thomas Umberg (District 34, Santa Ana)
- What it does: Requires DHCS, whenever it issues a license to operate an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility, to concurrently provide written notification of the issuance of the license to the city or county in which the facility is located. The notice must also include the name and mailing address of the licensee and the location of the facility
- Who it impacts: Treatment and recovery facilities
AB 543: Medi-Cal: field medicine.
Author: Mark Gonzalez (District 54, Los Angeles)
Co-authors: Sade Elhawary, Matt Haney, John Harabedian, Celeste Rodriguez, Susan Rubio, Pilar Schiavo
- What it does: Establishes a “street medicine” or “field medicine” option within Medi-Cal for individuals experiencing homelessness, allowing managed care plans to contract with in-network field medicine providers and enabling those providers to deliver covered services directly to Medi-Cal members regardless of their assigned network.
- Requires managed-care plans to provide mechanisms (online, in-person, phone) for members to self-identify as experiencing homelessness, mandates data-sharing between Medi-Cal and the state’s welfare system to flag homelessness status, and makes presumptive Medi-Cal eligibility available for persons experiencing homelessness (full-scope, no share of cost) upon provider determination.
- Who it impacts: Medi-Cal managed‐care plans; field/street medicine providers; individuals experiencing homelessness; county and state healthcare systems coordinating care for homeless beneficiaries.
AB 602: Public postsecondary education: student behavior: drug and alcohol use: rehabilitation programs.*
Author: Matt Haney (District 17, San Francisco)
- What it does: prohibits UC schools from disciplining students solely because a student under the influence of or possessing a controlled substance sought or received medical treatment for drug or alcohol use — provided the student completes an approved rehabilitation program
- Who it impacts: UC schools, students, treatment
AB 727: Pupil and student safety: identification cards.
Author: Mark Gonzalez (District 54, Los Angeles)
- What it does: requires a public or private school that serves pupils in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, and that issues pupil identification cards to have printed on the identification cards the number for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Who it impacts: California schools, children enrolled in a California school
AB 1037: Public health: substance use disorder.*
Author: Sade Elhawary (District 57, Los Angeles)
- What it does: expands access to opioid antagonists, protects Good Samaritans who administer them in good faith, streamlines licensing for SUD facilities with incidental medical services, and updates funding rules for prevention.
- Who it impacts: People at risk of overdose and their families; pharmacists & prescribers; SUD treatment providers; DHCS; local health departments
AB 1356: Alcohol and other drug programs.
Author: Diane Dixon (District 72, Newport Beach)
- What it does: Requires licensed adult alcohol or other drug recovery/treatment facilities to submit a follow‑up report to DHCS within 60 days after any resident death, including actions taken to prevent recurrence.
- Who it impacts: Residents of licensed SUD facilities; facility operators; DHCS; local communities
Senate Bills (SB)
SB 27: Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program.
Author: Thomas Umberg (District 34, Santa Ana)
- What it does: expands eligibility for CARE Court to include people who experience psychotic symptoms as a result of bipolar disorder
- allows the criminal justice system to refer someone directly into CARE Court if they are charged with a crime and are deemed incompetent to stand trial
- authorizes the county behavioral health agency and jail medical providers to share confidential medical records and other relevant information with the court
- Who it impacts: individuals diagnosed with BPD; individuals deemed IST and has serious mental illness
- Topic: CARE Court, criminal justice, serious mental illness
SB 62: Health care coverage: essential health benefits.
Author: Caroline Menjivar (District 20, Van Nuys)
Co-author: Mia Bonta
- What it does: Expresses legislative intent to review California’s essential health benefits (EHB) benchmark plan and, beginning January 1, 2027, to adopt an updated benchmark plan (pending federal approval) that adds coverage for specified fertility services and durable medical equipment.
- From plan years on or before 2027, preserves the existing Kaiser Small Group HMO 30 plan-based benchmark, including EHBs such as mental health and substance use disorder services.
- Who it impacts: Individual and small-group health insurance enrollees in California; health care service plans and insurers; providers of infertility services, durable medical equipment, and hearing aids
SB 246: Medi-Cal: graduate medical education payments.
Author: Anna Caballero (District 14, Merced), Shannon Grove (District 12, Bakersfield)
Co-authors: Megan Dahle, Melissa Hurtado, Alexandra Macedo, Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
- What it does: Requires DHCS to make additional payments to district and municipal public hospitals for graduate medical education (GME) costs, extending support beyond the existing designated public hospitals.
- Who it impacts: Non-designated public hospitals, the Medi-Cal managed-care system and federal/state funding eligibility.
SB 306: Health care coverage: prior authorizations.
Author: Josh Becker (District 13, Menlo Park)
- What it does: requires health insurers from Department of Insurance to identify the health care services approved at a rate that meets or exceeds the threshold rate of 90% and publish the list of services identified
- Beginning on January 1, 2028, these services will no longer require prior authorization for the most frequently approved covered health care services
- Who it impacts: individuals with healthcare in California, healthcare plans, insurance companies
SB 530: Medi-Cal: time and distance standards.
Author: Laura Richardson (District 35, Inglewood)
Co-authors: Akilah Weber Pierson
- What it does: Strengthens Medi-Cal managed-care plan network adequacy by updating time-and-distance standards, expands “specialist” definitions (e.g., immunology, urology, sleep medicine), and requires DHCS to evaluate provider networks using direct testing and secret-shopper methods.
- Clarifies that telehealth access alone cannot replace in-person care when a patient prefers in-person services.
- Who it impacts: Medi-Cal managed care plans and their subcontractor networks; Medi-Cal health care providers, Medi-Cal enrollees
SB 634: Local government: homelessness.
Author: Sasha Perez (District 25, Pasadena)
Co-authors: Matt Haney, Ash Kalra, Alex Lee
- What it does: Prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances that restrict individuals or organizations from providing food, shelter, medical care (physical or mental healthcare), or other basic survival support to people experiencing homelessness.
- Who it impacts: individuals experiencing homelessness in California, service-providers assisting unhoused individuals, jurisdictions that adopt or enforce ordinances regarding homelessness
SB 775: Board of Psychology and Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Author: Angelique Ashby (District 8, Sacramento)
- What it does: Amends the licensing laws for psychology, marriage-and-family therapy, clinical social work, and professional clinical counseling by extending the sunset date of the Board of Behavioral Sciences to January 1, 2030 and making various technical changes (e.g., expanding scope of permitted degree programs for psychological testing technicians, revising licensing and supervisory requirements)
- Removes the weekly supervision-credit limit for professional clinical-counselor trainees (no longer restricting to 6 hours/week), modifies exam-fee administration options, and allows the board to approve degrees in neuroscience, cognitive science or behavioral science for registration as a psychological-testing technician
- Who it impacts: Psychologists
SB 820: Inmates: mental health.*
Author: Henry Stern (District 27, Calabasas)
- What it does: Authorizes the involuntary administration of antipsychotic medication to county jail inmates found incompetent to stand trial (IST) on a misdemeanor when in an emergency and no less-intrusive alternative exists; requires court findings and periodic review, and clarifies that temporary access to food, clothing or shelter in jail does not establish capacity to provide for basic personal needs outside custody.
- Who it impacts: County jail inmates, county jails