Notice:

As of August 24, 2007, the Governor has vetoed funding for AB2034 programs out of the 2007-2008 budget. Unfortunately, that's about all the information that is available at this time. The MHALA Outcomes and Evaluation team will be working with the State Department of Mental Health to pass along information as it become available.

In 1999, the California state legislature enacted Assembly Bill 34 (Steinberg). Beginning on November 1, 1999, the AB34 legislation provided $10 million to provide services to homeless mentally ill individuals and mentally ill individuals at risk of incarceration in the 3 counties of Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Stanislaus. In 2000, based on the early results demonstrated by this program, the legislature provided an additional $55 million to expand these services to include 31 more counties and 40 additional providers throughout the state of California.

Today, AB 34 serves over 4,500 mentally ill and homeless/incarcerated individuals throughout the state. AB 34 stands as a proud example of how community mental health programs are improving the quality of life for the people it serves. In data that is reported monthly to the California State Department of Mental Health, AB 34 has demonstrated remarkable outcomes that show a decrease in homelessness and incarcerations while reflecting an increase in the ability of consumers to live independently. [more on AB34]