Governor Newsom signs bipartisan measure giving judges stronger tools to protect public safety, preserve access to mental health treatment

What you need to know: Governor Newsom signs bill to restore clarity to California's mental health diversion statute, ensuring judges can fully consider public safety when deciding whether diversion is appropriate.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today signed a bill to strengthen California's mental health diversion program by modifying the public safety standard courts apply when determining whether diversion is appropriate.

Assembly Bill 46 by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove) expands judicial discretion by allowing judges to fully consider public safety implications when evaluating diversion requests, while also maintaining access to treatment for individuals who are appropriate candidates for diversion.

California believes treatment and accountability go hand in hand. We are proud to preserve mental health diversion for people who can benefit from it while ensuring judges have the discretion they need to protect victims, safeguard communities, and make decisions based on the full picture before them.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The measure removes a narrow legal standard that restricted courts' ability to deny diversion and establishes broader judicial discretion to determine whether diversion is appropriate based on public safety.

"Today marks an important step forward for California's mental health diversion program. AB 46 is the result of more than three years of collaboration and hard work," said Assemblymember Nguyen. "I am grateful to Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law and to the many prosecutors, advocates, criminal justice stakeholders, legislative partners, and colleagues who worked together to make this measure possible. I am proud of where we landed, and I believe this law strengthens public safety while preserving mental health diversion as an important pathway to treatment."

California established its mental health diversion program to connect eligible individuals with treatment and reduce recidivism. AB 46 clarifies the law following court decisions that limited how judges could evaluate public safety concerns in diversion cases.