Title
Receive a written and verbal update on California’s Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Act, and the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Measure (March 2024).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors:
Receive a written and verbal update on California’s Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Act, and the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Measure (March 2024).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Proposition 1 (Prop 1) was approved by California voters during the March 2024 Primary Elections by a slim margin of approximately 26,000 votes. Prop 1 is a combination of two legislations passed during the 2023 session: Senate Bill 326 (the Behavioral Health Services Act), authored by Senator Susan Eggman, and Assembly Bill 531 (The Behavioral Health Infrastructure Act of 2024), authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin.
Background
On March 19, 2023, Governor Newsom announced a proposed strategy to reform the State’s Behavioral Health System. Part of the strategy, known as Senate Bill 326 (SB326), was to modernize and reform the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) as included in voter-approved Prop 1. County of Monterey Behavioral Health Bureau (BHB) provided an overview of this proposal to the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors (BOS) at the June 27, 2023, meeting. Further details were shared with the BOS at the August 22, 2023, meeting, where the BOS adopted an “Oppose Unless Amended” position and sent a letter to Senator Eggman accordingly. Additionally, on February 6, 2024, the BHB provided another update to the BOS with a request to oppose Proposition 1. The key concerns the BHB expressed in its letter to Senator Eggman were not materially changed, and the bill was incorporated into Prop 1 and approved by voters on March 5, 2024.
Proposition 1 at a Glance
Component 1: AB531, the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Act
Prop 1 authorizes $6.4 billion in state bonds to fund the creati...
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