Memorandum
Date: March 18, 2025
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Elise Jones, Director Behavioral Health Services
Subject: Approve Establishment of Panel for Selection of Hearing Officer for AB 2275 Certification Review Hearings
Executive Summary:
This memo seeks Board approval to establish a panel for the selection of a qualified hearing officer for Certification Review Hearings, as mandated by California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5256.1. This action is necessary to bring the County into compliance with AB 2275, which requires counties to have a qualified hearing officer selected from an approved list for extending 5150 holds.
Background on AB 2275:
AB 2275, effective January 1, 2023, introduced new requirements for counties regarding the certification review process for individuals held under 5150. Under the new law, counties must establish a process where a hearing officer conducts a review hearing to assess whether the individual should remain on a 5150 hold. A key provision of AB 2275 is that the hearing officer must be selected from a list of eligible individuals approved by a panel composed of the local mental health director, the county public defender, and the county counsel or district attorney.
Although AB 2275 went into effect in 2023, Lake County has not yet established this panel, putting us at risk of non-compliance. We have already issued a request for proposals (RFP) for hearing officer services and have had a contracted hearing officer in place since January 1, 2023. Another contract is pending approval, contingent on the establishment of this panel.
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Recommended Action: Approve Establishment of Panel for Selection of Hearing Officer for AB 2275 Certification Review Hearings