An ambitious plan to change how California funds mental health care will go before voters in March after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a pair of bills Thursday to place the reforms on the primary ballot.
The changes to the Mental Health Services Act and a corresponding housing bond are aimed at helping Californians with severe mental illness while living on the street. The measures won overwhelming support in the Legislature despite concerns from California counties and some mental health advocates. Together, they represent Newsom’s latest effort to transform care at the intersection of mental health and homelessness.
The two bills Newsom signed on Thursday — Senate Bill 326 and Assembly Bill 531 — will appear on the March 5, 2024 ballot as Proposition 1.