State • California

SB 1242: Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program.

Steve ChoiIn Committee

SB 1242 status: In Committee — From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR (updated Jul 1, 2026).

1

What this bill does

Overall score

Score70/100 civic fit
RiskModerate risk
ImpactHigh impact

Bill summary

Official

Existing law, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, authorizes specified adult persons to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan and implement services, to be provided by county behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, inc...

Key analysis

Constitutionality60%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion65%
2

Impact analysis

Environment

Mixed / Neutral
50%

Benefits

  • No direct environmental benefit identified

Risks

  • No direct environmental risk identified

Economy

Mixed / Neutral
50%

Benefits

  • Potential for reduced costs associated with untreated severe mental illness.

Risks

  • Increased county administrative and service provision costs.

Society

Positive Outlook
75%

Benefits

  • Expands family member participation in CARE Court proceedings.
  • Allows family members to provide information to CARE teams without respondent consent.
  • Clarifies and potentially expands the role of original petitioners in care coordination.
  • Aims to improve outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness.

Risks

  • Potential for increased conflict between family members and respondents.
  • Risk of family participation being detrimental to respondent's well-being if not carefully managed.
3

How trustworthy & consequential it is

Source

LegiScan

Confidence

high

high

Analysis status

LegiScan full bill text

Warning

Potential for unintended consequences regarding family dynamics and respondent autonomy.

Limitation

The bill amends existing law; full understanding requires review of the CARE Act and related statutes.

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Where it stands

Introduced

Complete
2

Committee

Current

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

3

Floor

Upcoming
4

Governor

Upcoming
5

Enacted

Upcoming
5

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6

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