Judicial Council Actions
| Council Approves Trial Court Funding Proposals Approved the allocation of funding to the courts provided in the fiscal year 2025-26 state budget, which includes money for court-appointed dependency counsel, continued implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, and other costs associated with trial court operations. |
July 18, 2025 |
| Recommendations to Improve Access to CARE Court Resources The Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee recommended amending three rules of court, adopting one form, approving two forms, revising three forms, adopting one standard of judicial administration, and renaming a title in the standards of judicial administration. The committee also recommended revisions to certain forms in response to feedback from members of the public regarding the forms’ readability and ease of use. |
July 1, 2025 |
| Council Approves Update to Resource Assessment Study (RAS) Model Approved an update to its model for measuring court workload and assessing trial court staffing needs based on findings from a 2024 time study conducted in 19 courts across the state. This update incorporated 22 different case types and included two new ones related to mental health certification and the CARE Act. |
April 25, 2025 |
| California Courts Implement CARE Act Statewide All 58 California counties begin accepting petitions under the CARE Act, completing full statewide implementation of legislation that created a new pathway to deliver mental health treatment and support services to vulnerable Californians. |
Dec 2, 2024 |
| Council Approves Funding to State Bar for CARE Act Approved the distribution of funds to the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the State Bar of California for the implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act as authorized by the Budget Act of 2024. |
Sept. 20, 2024 |
| Council Approves Form to Notice Respondent's Attorney Approved an optional form for the court's use to order the county agency to provide information to the respondent's attorney in specified related proceedings that a petition to commence proceedings under the CARE Act has been filed on the respondent's behalf. |
July 12, 2024 |
| Council Approves Revisions to Rules of Court, Forms Approved revised rules of court and forms related to the sealing of records, communications between the CARE Act court and the juvenile court, notification of respondent’s attorney in certain parallel or related legal proceedings, and limits on authorized communication. |
May 17, 2024 |
| California Courts Report Successful Start to CARE Act Courts received more than 220 CARE Act petitions since the program launched in October. |
Jan. 19, 2024 |
| Judicial Council to Get Update on CARE Act Programs The Judicial Council at its Jan. 19 meeting will receive an update from two of the eight superior courts that have started receiving CARE Act petitions, including lessons learned from their experiences. |
Jan. 16, 2024 |
| CARE Act Launches Today: Here’s What to Know California courts in seven counties on Monday launched the CARE Act, a new pathway to deliver mental health treatment and support services to the most vulnerable Californians. |
Oct. 2, 2023 |
| Council Continues to Support Implementation of CARE Act Approves new court rules and forms, will collect implementation data, and provide training and technical assistance for judges and court staff. |
May 12, 2023 |
| Council to Consider New Court Rules to Implement the CARE Act The act requires the council to develop a mandatory petition form and other forms necessary for the court process, as well as rules of court to implement provisions of the act. |
May 5, 2023 |
| Judicial Council Allocates Funding to Help Courts Implement CARE Act Seven superior courts—Glenn, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne—will receive a share of $2,828,000 as the first cohort of courts that will launch CARE Act programs by Oct. 1. |
Jan. 20, 2023 |
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New California Laws Going Into Effect in 2024 |
Dec. 18, 2023 |
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Chief Justice Issues Statement on Governor's Proposal on Homelessness, Mental Health |
March 3, 2022 |