In 1967, former California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the Lanterman-Petris Short Act, establishing a new system for the treatment of Mentally ill Californians.

After the implementation of the LPS Act in 1969, patients institutionalized in mental facilities were released out onto the streets. This action, coupled with lackluster support services, led many of them to stay there
becoming homeless.

Fifty-two years later, in 2021, the after-effects of this bill are still apparent. Since its signing, homelessness in California has skyrocketed, reaching a record number of 161,548 people in 2020, With around a third or more suffering from severe mental illness.

From walking through the streets of San Francisco, one of California's worst-hit cities, I and countless others have witnessed California's mental health epidemic firsthand. People with untreated mental illnesses are prevalent on the streets, many of whom are too sick to seek help. Seeing people in need pushes many, especially family and friends, to try and assist them. However, in the current state of the law, the most you can do is give them money, inform them of community resources or call the police to potentially take them into criminal custody.
This is to say that there is no way for the community to take direct action on behalf of those struggling with mental illness.

I'm proposing an amendment to California Welfare & Institutions Codes § 5150 and § 5251 to give concerned parties the right to petition for a proposed patient to be admitted for emergency custody or inpatient treatment.

Sign this petition, and you'll help Californians help the people who need it most.