Assemblymember Haney’s AB 2475 stops people who have committed violent crimes and have been diagnosed with a severe mental disorder from being released into the community without proper supervision and treatment
- Nate Allbee
- (415) 756-0561
SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Matt Haney’s (D-San Francisco) AB 2475, Preventing Unsupervised Psychiatric Releases bill, allows state hospitals to hold patients for up to 30 additional days before they are released to allow law enforcement and public health officials to work together to find housing, medication access, and mental health treatment. The bill previously passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee 8-0, and today on the Assembly floor with an initial 58-0 unanimous vote. The bill is now heading to the Senate with bipartisan support.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in the six years between 2018 and 2023, 1,656 people were released from a state hospital. In all of those cases, the Department of State Hospitals, State Parole, and local agencies were only given five days before the release of the individual to coordinate the appropriate housing, supervision, medication, and mental health services prior to a parolee being released and placed back in the community.
“If a person is being held in custody because their mental illness led them to commit a violent crime, the state has an absolute obligation and responsibility to make sure that they aren't released without ensuring adequate support, planning and treatment,” said Haney. “Five days to plan for someone's release is dangerously short, it sets them up to fail and puts everyone at risk. This bill will help to protect public safety and better ensure that people get essential ongoing treatment when released.”