CA SB63

Establishes the Homeless and Mental Health Court Grant Program administered by the Judicial Council to award competitive grants to counties for establishing or expanding mental health courts, homeless courts, or hybrid collaborative courts serving misdemeanor and infraction defendants.

Permits grant funds to be used for personnel salaries, court establishment/expansion, contracted treatment services, housing vouchers, medication-assisted treatment, and substance use disorder treatment services for eligible defendants.

Requires counties to operate funded courts on a deferred entry of judgment or diversion basis and to collect recidivism data on participating defendants over a three-year period, with a mandatory report to the Legislature by July 1, 2027.

Establishes the Transitioning Home Grant Program administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections to award grants to county sheriffs and jail administrators for programs reducing homelessness among released inmates, including housing navigation, vouchers, and reentry planning.

Both grant programs are operative only upon appropriation in the Budget Act or other statute, expire on January 1, 2028, and allow administrative costs up to 5 percent of annual appropriated funds.