Legislative & State Policy Advocacy

CALBHB/C's Governing Board supports legislation and budget items in response to issues reported from California's 59 local behavioral health boards & commissions, providing written and in-person advocacy. Join with us by writing to your legislators after reviewing "Understanding your Role" (below).

Understanding your Role

  1. As Individuals: Individuals can and should write to their state and federal legislators! Legislators especially appreciate hearing from residents within their districts.
  2. As Advisory Bodies: Local behavioral health boards/commissions are in an advisory role. In most counties, legislative advocacy is handled through the Board of Supervisors / Executive Office. ​Boards/commissions may wish to recommend specific legislation to their Governing Body (in most cases Board of Supervisors) and Behavioral Health Director (the Behavioral Health Directors also advocate through their statewide association, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California (CBHDA)). 

2026 Advocacy 

Find your California Legislators
Find your U.S. Legislators
AB 2324 (Gonzalez) | Workforce: Vocational education: Youth Caregivers Career Pathway program. CALBHB/C is a co-sponsor! 
AB 2011 (Hart) | Behavioral Health Parity - Support!
Warm Line Community Support Letter, May, 2026
County HR-1 Multi-Year Budget Request
Coalition Letter Opposing the 2026-27 Governor's Proposal to Eliminate the Statewide Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Benefit, April 27, 2026
CA Reducing Disparities Project Budget Ask
AFL 25-37 | Acute Psychiatric Emergency Regulations
  • Sample Letter
  • CALBHB/C Letter [Response: CDPH released an All Facility Letter (AFL) 26-03 announcing it expects to adopt emergency regulations for acute psychiatric hospital staffing on June 1, 2026 – rather than on January 31, 2026, as originally proposed.​]

    2025 Legislative Advocacy

    State
    Federal

    2024 Legislative Advocacy

    HR 4974/S.3444 (US Congress): Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023
    ​Sample Letter

    S. 923 (US Congress): Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act Support

    AB 236     (Holden) Provider Directory Requirements ​(Held in Appropriations 2024)
         Fact Sheet    Sample Letter   

    ​AB 1316 (Irwin and Ward): Emergency Services: Psychiatric Emergency Medical Conditions - Passed!
        Fact Sheet    Sample Letter

    AB 2267 (Jones-Sawyer):  Youth Reinvestment Grant Program   (Held in Senate Appropriations 2024)
         Fact Sheet    Sample Letter

    AB 2700 (Gabriel) Emergency Medical Services: Alternative Destinations (Sponsor: Steinberg Institute) (Held in Senate Appropriations 2024)
        Fact Sheet    Sample Letter

    AB 2882 (McCarty): Community Corrections Performance Incentives (Held in Appropriations 2024)
         Fact Sheet    Sample Letter 

    SB 1082 (Eggman) Augmented Residential Care Facilities  (Held in Senate Appropriations 2024)
         Fact Sheet    Sample Letter

    2023 Legislative Advocacy

    AB 236 (Holden) Provider Directory Requirements   Support  AB 236 Sample Letter

    ​SB 551     (Portantino) Board/Commission Membership- Amendment Requests     SB 551 Request for Amendments - Partially incorporated into SB 326

    AB 459 (Haney) CA BH Outcomes and Accountability Review​  Support     AB 459 Sample Letter - Gutted & Amended (But Partially Incorporated into SB 326)

    ​AB 1437 (Irwin & Quirk-Silva) Medication Prior Authorization   Support     AB 1437 Sample Letter  Governor's Veto Message
    ​
    SB-509 (Portantino) School employee and pupil training  Support
          SB-509 Sample Letter  Governor's Veto Message
    ​
    AB-839 (Addis) Residential care facilities for the elderly: financing  Support if Amended to include Adult Residential Facilities (ARFs).

    ​AB-1001 (Haney) Health facilities: BH emergency services  Support    AB 1001 Sample Letter

    ​SB 282 (Eggman) Same-Day Access (Medi-Cal)  Support     AB 282 Sample Letter

    SB 598 (Skinner/Wiener) Health care coverage: prior authorization Support    SB 598 Sample Letter

    S. 923 (US Senate): Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act Support

    2022 Legislative & Budget Advocacy

    SB 316 Same Day Access for 2 Visits Sample Letter    Fact Sheet
    ​
    H.R. 432 / S. 828: Mental Health Access Improvement Act    

    ​SB 970: MHSA Outcome Data Sample Letter   Link to Bill

    SB 964: Behavioral Health Workforce Sample Letter    Link to Bill​

    SB 1229: Children & Youth BH Workforce  Sample Letter   Link to Bill

    AB 32 Telehealth - Passed
    Sample Letter   Fact Sheet

    Medication Access Trailer Bill - Not included in Budget
    Sample Letter   Fact Sheet
    ​
    AB 738: Veterans Required on Mental Health Boards - Passed                    
    CALBHB/C Letter of Opposition 

    ​​AB 552 Integrated School-Based Behavioral Health Partnership​ - Vetoed​
    ​Sample Letter    Fact Sheet   Senate Floor Alert 08.17.2022

    2021 Legislative & Budget Advocacy

    Historic Investment in Behavioral Health with 2021-22 Budget, CA Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, County Behavioral Health Directors Association CA ​July 8, 2021 Press Release

    Federal Parity DOL Authority
    Coalition Letter

    AB 686: Community-Based Behavioral Health Outcomes and Accountability Review.
    Sample Letter      Fact Sheet

    AB 816:  Homelessness Accountability - PASSED!
    Sample Letter    Fact Sheet

    ​    SB 224:  Pupil instruction:  Mental health education  PASSED!
    ​Sample Letter    Fact Sheet

    ​    $2.455 Billion  for Behavioral Health Infrastructure
    Coalition Letter

    $250 Million for Rehabilitation of "Board & Care" Facilities
    Letter to Senate HHS Subcommittee 3   Proposal & Analysis, P. 13

    $4.7 Million for establishing a Peer Support Specialist Certification Program in Medi-Cal and Drawing Down Millions in Federal Matching Funds  Coalition Letter

    2020 Legislative & Budget Advocacy

    PASSED! ​AB-2377:  Adult Residential Facilities - Closures
    Sample Letter    ​Legislative Analysis
    PASSED! AB-1766:  Adult Residential Facilities - Data Collection
    Sample Letter
    PASSED! ​SB-803:  Peer Provider Certification
    Sample Letter    ​​Legislative Analysis
    PASSED! ​SB-855:  Mental Health as a Medical Necessity
    Sample Letter    ​Fact Sheet & Background

    Federal Appropriations and Bills supported by CALBHB/C Leadership  Link to Summaries
    1. Emergency Appropriation of $38.5 Billion for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
    2. Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act of 2020 (S. 3312)
    3. National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 (H.R. 4194)

    Additional State Bills supported by CALBHB/C Leadership - No recent committee activity.
    1. Adult Residential Facilities (ARF) (Board & Cares) for adults with Serious Mental Illness 2. COVID 19 Emergency Appropriations: Behavioral Health Safety Net Coalition Letter, May 2020
    3. Workforce - AB-565 (Maienschein) Public health workforce planning.    *
    Draft Letter to Support PAD Multi-County MHSA Innovation Project
    Find your Representative (Email Form) 
    Find your CA Assembly Member (Email Form) 
    Find your CA Senator (Email Form) ​
    ​CA counties map by behavioral health region, showing 58 counties plus Berkeley and Tri-Cities. (Sutter and Yuba Counties are one jurisdiction). View map.
    The california association of local behavioral* health boards & commissions (cALBHB/C) supports the work of california's 59 local behavioral health boards and commissions by providing resources, training and Technical Assistance. 

    Local boards are responsible** for reviewing public behavioral health needs, services, facilities and special problems, and serve in an advisory capacity to local governing bodies and local behavioral health directors.     ​

    ​*"Behavioral" Refers to Mental Health as well as Alcohol and Drugs.
    **CA Welfare & Institutions Code (WIC) 5604
    Donations are welcome. CALBHB/C is a nonprofit organization.