CARE Court, launched in 2023, has faced challenges with lower-than-expected utilization. The new legislation seeks to address some of these issues by streamlining the referral process for first responders like firefighters and EMTs, who can now request a county to file a CARE Court petition on behalf of an individual they encounter.
One of the new laws also allows individuals who initiate a CARE Court petition, such as family members, to submit relevant information about the participant's condition or location to their care team. However, this provision was modified to allow only one-way communication, meaning petitioners cannot receive updates on the participant's care without their consent, citing privacy concerns.
Two other proposed bills that would have introduced more substantial and controversial changes to CARE Court did not advance. These bills aimed to address situations where individuals are too ill to voluntarily accept care. Opponents, including Disability Rights California, argued these measures would make the program more coercive, while supporters, like some families of those with severe mental illness, expressed disappointment that these avenues for intervention were not pursued.
Legislators cited the high cost and a lack of sufficient data on CARE Court's effectiveness as reasons for the failure of the more ambitious bills. Senator Blakespear indicated plans to reintroduce legislation next year to strengthen the connection between CARE Court and conservatorships, suggesting ongoing efforts to refine the program's approach to mental health treatment.
Data through June 2025 shows that out of 2,216 petitions filed for CARE Court, 517 resulted in agreements or plans, with 984 cases being dismissed. Another new law, unrelated to CARE Court, requires counties to develop procedures for training individuals involved in placing patients on involuntary mental health holds.