Senate Clears Bill To Use Prop. 63 Funds for Laura’s Law

On Monday, the state Senate unanimously approved a bill (SB 585), by Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), that would let counties to use Proposition 63 money for Laura's Law, which allows courts to require treatment for residents with severe mental health conditions and a history of violence or hospitalization. Prop. 63 -- also known as the Mental Health Services Act -- raises $1 billion a year through a 1% tax on residents with incomes greater than $1 million annually. The bill now moves to the Assembly.

• "Bill Backs Calif. Mental Health Treatment Program" (AP/Sacramento Bee, 5/21).