December 2025
December 2025 Spotlight
Senate Bill 27
SB 27 was signed by Governor Newsom on October 10, 2025, going into effect on January 1, 2026.
SB 27 amends provisions of the CARE Act in a number of ways:
- Adds bipolar I disorder with psychotic features as an eligible diagnosis.
- Defines “clinically stabilized in ongoing voluntary treatment.”
- Provides a process by which certain court referrals can constitute a CARE petition without a separate petition form being filed.
- Allows criminal courts to consider CARE referrals earlier for individuals found incompetent to stand trial (IST) in misdemeanor cases.
- Allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to complete an affidavit in support of a CARE petition.
- Makes other technical amendments to the CARE process.
For a detailed summary of SB 27’s provisions, see the SB 27 Amendments brief and training.
Training and technical assistance materials have been updated to reflect these updates. Consider reviewing the updated resources below.
Updated! The CARE Act Eligibility in Practice training and CARE Act Eligibility Criteria Fact Sheet have been updated to include updates to eligibility from SB 27.
New! The Understanding Bipolar I Disorder brief was created to overview the new diagnosis included within SB 27. A training is forthcoming.
Other TTA materials currently being updated include the Referrals to CARE training, the CARE Process Flow for County Behavioral Health, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).