California SB 989: Prisoners.

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 Bill Text - SB-989 Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program. 

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 06/18/26 - Amended Assembly
 05/14/26 - Amended Senate
 04/16/26 - Amended Senate
 03/19/26 - Amended Senate
 02/05/26 - Introduced

 SB-989 Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program. (2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 06/18/2026 09:00 PM

SB989:v95#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Revised
 June 23, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 June 18, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 May 14, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 April 16, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 March 19, 2026

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Senate Bill

No. 989

Introduced by Senators Blakespear and Umberg
(Coauthor: Senator Arreguín)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Patel and Dixon)

February 05, 2026

An act to add Section 5974.5 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to courts. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 989, as amended, Blakespear.
 Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program. 

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.

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.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 YES 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 5974.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

5974.5.

 (a) In addition to directly filing a petition to commence the CARE process, a first responder, as identified in subdivision (f) of Section 5974, may contact the county behavioral health agency of the county in which the individual resides, or is found, if they believe that the individual meets or is likely to meet criteria to qualify for the CARE process, as described in Section 5972, and request the county behavioral health agency file a petition to commence the CARE process.

(b) The request pursuant to this subdivision shall include the name and contact information for the individual, including a telephone number and address, if available, and other information as specified by the department.

(c) Within 30 business days of the request, the county behavioral health agency shall complete a review of the request and shall determine whether to file a petition in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(d) Upon completion of the re