SACRAMENTO - A controversial plan to force some homeless people into mental health care programs is one step closure to becoming law.
The proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom passed the Assembly this week and will head back to the State Senate for one final vote before heading to his desk. The bill would require the state's 58 counties to create a special civil court to process petitions from family members, first responders and others on behalf of people diagnosed with specific psychiatric disorders. San Diego and Riverside counties would be among seven counties required to set up a court by October 1, 2023, while other counties would have until December 1, 2024.
A person facing a criminal charge could avoid jail and possibly avoid fines by completing a mental health program, but the court could also force someone get treatment.
Supporters say the bill could make a difference in the states decades-long homeless crisis, but critics say the state doesn't have enough treatment centers and staff to handle the potential influx of patients if the bill becomes law. Critics also say those who choose to go into treatment are more likely to succeed and recover compared to those who are forced into a program.
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