California GOP pushes ‘accountability’ with homeless plan. Here’s what it would do

California Republicans are pushing a package of bills to tackle homelessness and mental health issues — but in a way they claim would be more fiscally responsible than Democrats’ approach.

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, and a group of lawmakers on Wednesday presented a slate of bills they dubbed “ACT on Homelessness,” with ACT standing for accountability, compassion and treatment.

Gallagher and his fellow Republicans see the pieces of legislation as a response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s significant investments in homelessness care throughout the course of his term. Newsom also recently proposed a program that would set up mental health courts in every California county to compel treatment for those suffering from psychosis.

Republicans acknowledge the billions of dollars the governor has spent on initiatives and temporary housing programs like Projects Homekey and Roomkey. But they say the administration has not done enough to clean up encampments and help those experiencing homelessness and dealing with mental health struggles.

“Their answer to homelessness, as it seems to be their answer to everything, is to just throw more money at the problem,” Gallagher said at a Capitol press conference. “There are more encampments, not less. In every city across this great state, we see more people out on the street, despite so many different programs.”

What does Republicans’ plan involve?

The GOP plan includes two bills that would reform a law then-Gov. Ronald Reagan signed in 1967 that ended the practice of involuntary commitment of people with mental health issues. The law is known as the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.

Republican lawmakers’ Assembly Bill 2020 and Senate Bill 1303 would “reduce barriers to placing individuals incapable of caring for themselves into an LPS conservatorship or similar program,” the GOP proposal says, using an acronym for the Reagan-era law.

Gallagher said he’s “intrigued” by Newsom’s plan for mental health courts, although he called it “short on details.” Newsom refers to the proposal as “Care Court.”

“He promises that it will fix the epidemic of mental illness and addiction that you see on these streets by compelling treatment for those who need it. But what if they refuse?” Gallagher asked. “The problem is the law, and a court, even the Care Court, has to follow the law. And right now the law says that they’ll go right back into the criminal justice and conservatorship systems that are failing them today.”

Newsom recently estimated the state has spent some $14 billion on homelessness during his administration, with much of going to housing and services.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom dedicated his 2020 State of the State address to homelessness. He issued a call to arms and referred to homelessness as the “most pernicious crisis in our midst”

Since then, the state’s homelessness crisis has not abated with highly visible encampments throughout California.

“It’s nice to see Republicans embracing many of the key proposals put forward by the governor to address homelessness,” said Daniel Lopez, Newsom’s press secretary, in a statement. “Governor Newsom has worked with the Legislature and statewide stakeholders to create a real homelessness plan that calls for greater accountability, more resources at the local level and unprecedented funding of $14 billion to address this crisis.”

Newsom’s homelessness initiatives have gotten 58,000 people off the street since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lopez said. The governor has also provided $1.1 billion to clean up litter and beautify streets and public places through the Clean California program, he said.

“Homelessness is a bipartisan issue that impacts us all,” Lopez said. “The governor’s approach will continue to focus on efforts that are impactful, produce results and call for greater resources and accountability at the local level.”

Other California GOP proposals

The Republicans’ ACT plan also includes more than a dozen bills that would address homelessness and mental health care in the following ways:

• Require the governor to provide public information on its homelessness response, an audit of spending and outcomes and an annual report to the Legislature.
• Create California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions for supportive housing and emergency shelters, and reward local governments that provide more temporary shelter options.
• Provide grant funds to communities that want to develop mobile crisis infrastructure for people who need behavioral health treatment.
• Develop statewide standards for involuntary mental health holds.
• Create a new state department to address homelessness services and prevention.

Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, said during the press conference he’s optimistic some of the bills Republicans have proposed will get passed. He highlighted one of his pieces of legislation, Senate Bill 1006, which would provide grants to law enforcement agencies that create homeless outreach teams.

That bill made it through the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, he said.

“That is a good sign that just maybe, maybe the Democrats are finally willing to work with Republicans in battling the homeless issue here in California,” he said.

This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 5:25 AM.