AB 2357

AB2357:v98#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2357

An act to add and repeal Section 242.1 to of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to courts.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2357, as amended, Pellerin. Courts: mental health pilot program.

Existing law, the Trial Jury Selection and Management Act, governs the selection of jurors and formation of trial juries for civil and criminal cases in all trial courts of the state. Existing law requires the judge in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony, prior to discharging the jury, to provide specified information to trial jurors regarding mental health awareness, including information about stress relief and symptoms that may be experienced following exposure to trauma.

This bill would authorize the County of Santa Cruz and two other counties, selected by the Judicial Council, to conduct a pilot program for the provision of no-cost mental health services to jurors and alternate jurors following the receipt of a verdict in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony, as defined. The bill would require the Judicial Council to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the behavioral health directors of the participating counties for the purposes of providing the above-described mental health services, and would require the memorandum of understanding to include, among other things, the number of no-cost mental health sessions available to jurors. The bill would require the participating counties to terminate the pilot program no later than January 1, 2034, and would require the counties to report specified information regarding the pilot program to the Judicial Council. The bill would require the Judicial Council to provide a report to the Legislature no later than July 1, 2034, 2035, regarding the pilot program, and would require the report to include the number of jurors who were offered mental health resources pursuant to this program and recommendations for improving outreach and access to mental health services for jurors. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2035. 2036.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 242.1 is added to the Code of Civil Procedure, to read:

242.1.

(a) The County of Santa Cruz and two other counties selected by Judicial Council are authorized to conduct a pilot program for the provision of no-cost mental health services to jurors and alternate jurors following the receipt of a verdict in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony.

(b) The Judicial Council shall identify two counties in addition to the County of Santa Cruz for participation in the pilot program.

(c) For counties that are identified by the Judicial Council and that elect to participate in the pilot program, the Judicial Council shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the behavioral health directors of the respective counties for the purpose of providing no-cost mental health services to jurors and alternate jurors following the receipt of a verdict in a criminal action or proceeding alleging a violent felony.

(d) The memorandum of understanding described in subdivision (c) shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Number of no-cost mental health sessions available to jurors.

(2) The length of time that jurors have to access the resources made available by the memorandum of understanding.

(3) A telephone number and an email for jurors to use to obtain services described in the memorandum of understanding.

(e) A participating court may share this information with jurors and alternate jurors following the conclusion of a civil or criminal action or proceeding alleging an offense that is not a violent felony.

(f) Participating counties shall terminate the pilot program authorized by this section by no later than January 1, 2034.

(g) Upon conclusion of the pilot program, a participating court shall provide a report to Judicial Council that contains, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) The number of jurors who were offered mental health resources pursuant to this section.

(2) The number of jurors who accepted services.

(3) Recommendations for improving outreach and access to mental health services for jurors.

(h) (1) The Judicial Council shall compile the results from each participating superior court and prepare a report for the Legislature. This report shall be presented to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than July 1, 2034. 2035.

(2) The report required in paragraph (1) shall include all of the following:

(A) The number of criminal actions or proceedings alleging a violent felony that proceeded to a jury trial in the participating counties during the duration of the pilot program.

(B) The number of jurors who were offered mental health resources pursuant to this section.

(C) The number of jurors who accepted services.

(D) Recommendations for improving outreach and access to mental health services for jurors.

(i) For the purposes of this section, “violent felony” has the same definition as in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 of the Penal Code.

(j) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2035, 2036, and as of that date is repealed.