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AB 2259

Prisons: mental health.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rhodesia Ransom

Provides a 3-year pilot offering telehealth or in-person mental health therapy to near-release inmates, linking pre- and post-release care with Medi-Cal.

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Bill Summary · AB 2259

Summary of AB 2259 (2025-2026) — Prisons: Mental Health

A California Assembly bill introduced by Assembly Member Ransom proposes a targeted, three-year pilot program to expand access to mental health therapy for incarcerated people, with a focus on pre-release continuity of care and connection to community-based treatment post-release.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Establish a 3-year pilot program to provide access to specified mental health therapy for certain incarcerated persons who are not currently classified as needing existing in-institution mental health care.
  • Improve rehabilitation, personal growth, and preparation for post-incarceration reentry by expanding access to mental health services through modern delivery modes (teletherapy/telepsychiatry and contracted providers).
  • Facilitate continuity of care by linking participants with community-based providers and Medi-Cal benefits prior to release, aligning with broader Medi-Cal justice-involved initiatives where feasible.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Establishment of Pilot

    • Location: Two California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institutions; each institution must include housing for both genders (one facility per gender as part of the pilot at each site).
    • Settings for therapy: Virtual therapy opportunities (telehealth/telepsychiatry in confidential settings) or in-person sessions with contracted licensed or registered mental health providers.
    • Frequency and duration: At least two sessions per month, minimum 50 minutes per session, with short-term, evidence-based models (e.g., brief cognitive behavioral therapy) oriented toward coping skills, reentry planning, and stabilization.

  • Participant Eligibility and Enrollment

    • Targeted participants are incarcerated individuals within 90 days of release or within 90 days of the minimum eligible parole date/earliest release date.
    • Exclusions: Individuals currently classified as requiring certain higher-intensity classifications (e.g., Correctional Clinical Case Management System, Enhanced Outpatient Program, Psychiatric Inpatient Programs, or Mental Health Crisis Bed) are not eligible.
    • Consent and privacy: Communications between the incarcerated person and the therapist are confidential under HIPAA. Enrollment cannot automatically classify someone as having a serious mental health disorder without a provider’s formal recommendation and the individual's written consent.

  • Services and Funding

    • Services may be covered by Medi-Cal or other allowable funding sources to support continuity of care before release and after reentry.
    • The California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) acts as the custodian of all treatment records generated under the pilot.

  • Pre-Release and Reentry Focus

    • 90-day window before release to facilitate enrollment in Medi-Cal and to connect with community-based treatment options.
    • Upon release, inmates receive information about available community-based treatment resources.

  • Reporting and Evaluation

    • The CDCR must report to the Legislature’s fiscal and appropriate policy committees on March 1, 2028, and annually through March 1, 2031.
    • Reports must include:
    • Planned capacity at participating facilities.
    • Number of participants enrolled at each site.
    • Percentage of participants with positive post-treatment outcomes.
    • Number of participants successfully linked to postrelease community-based treatment programs.
    • Reports must comply with Government Code section 9795.

  • Term and Sunset

    • The program becomes inoperative on July 1, 2031, and is repealed effective January 1, 2032.

3) Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Incarcerated individuals within CDCR, specifically those nearing release and not currently in highest-intensity mental health programs.
  • CDCR facilities (two institutions, with gender-diverse housing at each site).
  • California Correctional Health Care Services, as custodian of treatment records.
  • Department of Health Care Services (in coordinating Medi-Cal enrollment and benefits).
  • Postrelease community-based providers and Medi-Cal networks (through linkage and continuity-of-care efforts).

4) Procedural and Timeline Highlights

  • Introduction: Introduced February 19, 2026.
  • Committee path: Referred to Public Safety; later moved to Appropriations status (AB 2259 passed initial committee stages in March 2026).
  • Pilot timeline:
    • Start date not specified in the text; pilot lasts three years from initiation.
    • Interim and final reporting: March 1, 2028, through March 1, 2031.
  • Sunset/Repeal: Inoperative July 1, 2031; repealed January 1, 2032.

Notes

  • No direct new appropriations are identified in the bill text (no state appropriation stated).
  • The bill emphasizes confidential therapy sessions and HIPAA protections, modern therapy modalities, and pre-release continuity of care to support safer reentry.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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