Governor Gavin Newsom signs SB 27, strengthening California’s CARE Act and expanding access to behavioral health services

“SB 27 is critical for the effective expansion and implementation of CARE Court in California,” said Senator Umberg. “With this legislation, more Californians will finally receive the assistance they need to fully reintegrate into society. SB 27 provides a balanced and compassionate path forward—far preferable to the extremes we’ve seen elsewhere, whether it’s sweeping executive orders on civil commitments or doing nothing at all and allowing people to die on our streets. The beauty of CARE Court is that it holds both institutions and individuals accountable, ensures individuals get the care they need and gives judges a clear role in overseeing and guiding the process. This bill focuses on implementation by listening to and learning from counties about what’s working and what’s not, in order to meet the goals of the original CARE Court legislation.”

The CARE Act, first launched in 2023 to provide new court-supervised pathways into behavioral health care, has already transformed how California approaches serious mental illnesses. CARE Court — underway in 58 counties statewide — is a first-in-the-nation approach to empower individuals suffering from untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to get the treatment and housing they need to recover and thrive. SB 27 enhances the framework by expanding eligibility for CARE, improving court coordination, and ensuring county health agencies and courts can intervene more quickly when someone’s mental health deteriorates.

SB 27 updates California’s behavioral health framework to improve early intervention, streamline court processes, and bring compassion and accountability into balance for individuals facing severe mental illness. 
 

Providing a stable pathway out of the justice system 

SB 27 ensures closer coordination between criminal courts and behavioral health systems by requiring judges to consider CARE as a frontline option for misdemeanor defendants with serious mental illness. Many of these individuals cycle through the criminal justice system for years, as, once they exit jail-based treatment, they lack reliable access to mental health care, stable housing, and other necessary supportive services. CARE can provide them with an enduring path to stability, making it much less likely that they reoffend — a far better outcome for them, their loved ones, and the public at large.
 

Expanding access to CARE

The legislation broadens eligibility under the CARE Act to include individuals who suffer from bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, ensuring that more Californians facing serious mental health challenges are able to access licensed professionals–such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants–together with the other supportive services available through CARE.

By refining the CARE framework, SB 27 makes it easier for courts and local agencies to connect people with treatment before they fall through the cracks. The bill reaffirms California’s commitment to addressing mental illness through compassion, accountability, and access – giving individuals a path to recovery rather than incarceration.

SB 27 continues California’s effort to build a modern, coordinated system of behavioral healthcare — one that responds quickly, treats people with dignity, and delivers lasting outcomes for communities across the state.
 

Care and compassion

CARE courts are a key component of Governor Newsom’s comprehensive strategy to address homelessness and help ensure people get the support they need. More than 1.2 million adults in California live with a serious mental illness, and 1 in 10 residents meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. California’s mental health system was dismantled under then-Governor Reagan, leaving the criminal justice system as the major way for people to get the help they need. 
 

Since taking office in 2019, Governor Newsom has created unprecedented policy and structural changes in state government to transform its mental health systems and also address the homelessness crises, including additional and unprecedented support for local governments, stronger accountability and enforcement, and groundbreaking reforms.
 

Reversing a decades-in-the-making crisis

Between 2014 and 2019 — before Governor Newsom took office — unsheltered homelessness in California rose by approximately 37,000 people. Since then, under this Administration, California has significantly slowed that growth, even as many other states have seen worsening trends.

In 2024, while homelessness increased nationally by over 18%, California limited its overall increase to just 3% — a lower rate than in 40 other states. The state also held the growth of unsheltered homelessness to just 0.45%, compared to a national increase of nearly 7%. States like Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois saw larger increases both in percentage and absolute numbers. California also achieved the nation’s largest reduction in veteran homelessness and made meaningful progress in reducing youth homelessness.

This year, California’s largest communities are reporting substantial decreases in homelessness numbers – indicating that California’s comprehensive and strategic approach to reversing this national crisis and getting people out of encampments is working.