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AB-1205 • 2026

Mental health services: assisted outpatient treatment.

Mental health services: assisted outpatient treatment.

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Muratsuchi
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Died at Desk.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary indicates that changes are technical and non-substantive, which means they do not alter the core provisions of Laura’s Law regarding assisted outpatient treatment.

Mental Health Services: Assisted Outpatient Treatment

AB-1205 makes minor, non-substantive changes to existing laws about assisted outpatient treatment for people with mental illnesses.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes technical and non-substantive changes to the rules for counties that offer 'assisted outpatient treatment' under Laura’s Law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Counties that choose to offer assisted outpatient treatment as part of their mental health services.

Terms To Know

Laura's Law
A law that requires counties or groups of counties to provide special mental health care called 'assisted outpatient treatment' unless they opt out by a resolution passed by the governing body.
Assisted Outpatient Treatment
Special help for people with serious mental illnesses who might not follow their treatment plans without support from others.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only makes small, non-substantive changes to existing laws and does not add new major requirements or rights.
  • It is unclear if the governor will sign this bill into law since it died at the desk on February 2, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Died at Desk.

  2. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  3. 2025-02-22 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  4. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1205, as introduced, Muratsuchi.
Mental health services: assisted outpatient treatment.
Existing law, known as Laura’s Law, requires a county or group of counties to provide assisted outpatient treatment as part of mental health services, unless a county or group of counties opts out by a resolution passed by the governing body, as specified. Existing law authorizes participating counties to pay for the services using moneys distributed to the counties from various continuously appropriated funds, including the Behavioral Health Services Fund when included in a county plan, as specified.
For participating counties, existing law authorizes a court to order a person who is the subject of a certain petition to obtain assisted outpatient treatment if the court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that various conditions are met, including, among others, that the person is experiencing a mental illness and that the person has a
history of lack of compliance with treatment for their mental illness, as specified. Existing law sets forth certain rights of the person relating to the hearing and imposes conditions on an extension to an initial treatment order.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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