AB 720 (Eggman) – Inmates: psychiatric medication: informed
consent. As Amended April 17, 2017 – Support
Assembly Bill 720 by Assembly Member Susan Eggman would grant
county jails the authority to administer involuntary psychiatric
medication to non-sentenced individuals detained in their
facilities as long as certain criteria are met. Existing law
prohibits a person sentenced to imprisonment in a county jail
from being administered any psychiatric medication without his or
her prior informed consent or unless specific conditions exist.
However, there are individuals who enter local detention
facilities that need mental health treatment but have not been
sentenced. AB 720 would assist in reducing harm to the inmate,
other inmates or staff and addresses ongoing problems and
challenges county jails are facing in addressing the mental
health needs of inmates. AB 720 passed out of the Assembly Public
Safety Committee 7-0, passed out of the Assembly Judiciary
Committee 10-0 and waiting to be heard on the Assembly Floor.
SB 142 (Beall) – Criminal offenders: mental health.
As Amended April 24, 2017 – Support
Senate Bill 142 by Senator Jim Beall would incentivize
counties to invest more in effective local mental health services
by sharing state savings when a county reduces the number of
people with mental illness sent to state prison. This measure
would establish the State Community Mental Health Performance
Incentives Fund that would be available for transfer to counties
to be deposited in a county-based fund account. Incentive
payments would be made available to the County Board of
Supervisors for utilization
