The Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB 1338 off of the
Suspense File today with amendments, although those language
changes have not yet been published. The amendments may be
released as early as tonight.
CSAC, along with a robust county coalition, continues to advocate
for implementation funding as well as key policy changes to SB
1338. The Governor’s May Revision Budget included a placeholder
for potential county CARE Court funding, pending additional
conversations between counties and the Department of Finance. The
May Revision also included almost $65 million for the courts and
state to implement the new program.
For the Senate Appropriations Committee, CSAC, along with Urban
Counties of California (UCC); Rural County Representatives of
California (RCRC); County Behavioral Health Directors Association
of California (CBHDA); California Association of Public
Administrators, Public Guardians, and Public Conservators
(CAPAPGPC); and the County Welfare Directors of California (CWDA)
emphasized the need for substantial new ongoing funding to
realize the Governor’s vision for the bill.
As outlined in SB 1338, CARE Courts require significant
engagement from counties – especially county behavioral health
and county public defenders – from beginning to end. Counties
also require new resources up-front to establish the new CARE
Court process. CSAC, along with the county organizations above,
is working diligently to identify and estimate county
responsibilities and potential costs to effectively serve
individuals who are referred to the courts and those who
ultimately enter the program and receive a CARE plan.
Additionally, major policy changes involving state-county
partnership programs and services necessitate a shared framework
for sharing costs and responsibilities. Such protections – for
both the state and counties – were included in 1991 and 2011
Realignment, and more recently with the Division of Juvenile
Justice realignment. Counties believe the CARE Court proposal
requires statutory provisions that provide protections for the
new responsibilities and associated costs.
CSAC will continue to engage on both the fiscal and policy issues
embodied in SB 1338 and provide counties with the latest updates.
