Approved by voters in 2004, the act enacted a 1% tax on personal income above $1 million per year to expand California’s behavioral health system to improve care and support for people with serious mental health issues. The money went directly to counties to spend on mental health programs. Under Senate Bill 326, Newsom is asking lawmakers, and then voters, to reconfigure the mental health law and set aside 30% of the tax, or about $1 billion a year, for supportive housing for those with serious mental health illnesses or substance use disorders. The legislation cites research by UC San Francisco that found 82% of homeless Californians reported having experienced a serious mental health condition and 65% reported regularly using illicit drugs at some point. Concerns over his mental health plan this year focused on Newsom’s call to redirect money from existing services and programs funded by the act to housing.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 11, 2023 17:57 UTC