On June 19, the Legislature introduced for the first time 233 pages of changes to the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and related law in Senate Bill 326. The bill fundamentally alters the public behavioral health system and will likely result in loss of funding to community-based service providers, and loss of services to mental health clients and their families.
On July 11, the Assembly Health Committee will vote on whether to allow SB 326 - "MHSA Modernization" to move through the legislature on an urgent basis for inclusion on the March 2024 ballot. The hearing will not allow for public comment. Under the "urgent" process, the community would have to provide any comment to the bill by July 13. It is impossible for the community to fully analyze a bill this complex and large by July 13 and there is no justification for using urgent processes to make fundamental changes to our systems.
Cal Voices believes the MHSA was a hallmark ballot initiative intended to transform the mental health system, and believes it puts the clients, and the community in a position of shared power (long overdue) with the government entities creating programs and policies to serve our behavioral health needs. We believe SB 326 has catastrophic consequences for our public behavioral health system and the people it serves. Therefore, we urge you to act now by calling the Assembly Health Committee and demand a "NO" vote on July 11. Call the Assembly Health Committee at 916-319-2097. We have provided a telephone script to help you in calling the Assembly Health Committee. | 
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