Overview
- Stefani announced the legislation at San Francisco City Hall and is expected to introduce it in the Legislature later this week.
- The measure would permit involuntary administration of psychiatric medication during six-month assisted outpatient treatment orders, closing a gap in current law.
- Supporters say judges could authorize medication when a person lacks capacity, with due process protections and individualized medical evidence.
- Clinicians describe a process allowing transport to a hospital for the recommended medication and a return to community care to continue treatment.
- City leaders argue the change could reduce cycling through crowded emergency rooms and jails, while disability-rights advocates have opposed similar compelled-treatment expansions and warn of threats to autonomy.