California Lawmakers Propose Involuntarily Confining Individuals With Mental Illness

Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking at a mental health treatment center in San Jose, Calif., announces "Care Court," a program that would target people suffering from psychosis who have lost their ability to care for themselves, on March 3, 2022. Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group via AP

California state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) teamed up with other local officials and health agencies to update the state’s current mental health system and conservatorships laws.

Bill SB43 was introduced to legislators in March, which would allow for early intervention in response to an individual’s mental health crisis and update the criteria for determining if a person is “gravely disabled,” the bill states.