Email Governor Newsom to Sign AB3077 and Expand the Judicial Rights for People with BPD
Advocacy Alert! Emotions Matter urgently requests that everyone in our community email Governor Newsom of California asking him to SIGN AB3077 to expand access to judicial rights for people with BPD in California.
BPD is currently excluded from the existing list of psychiatric diagnoses that judges may consider in evaluating if defendants are incompetent to stand trial (IST) and eligible to have their sentencing enhancements dismissed.
Emotions Matter's Advocacy Committee has been working hard since the beginning of the year with our partners, The California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CCCBHA) and the NEA-BPD to advocate for legislation AB3077 (Hart) to change this, and remove stigma from the penal code in California.
Our volunteers testified at a Hearing in the Spring, and the Bill is successfully moving through the Assembly and the Senate.
Now is the moment of truth.... we expect the bill to go to Governor Newsom's desk shortly, and we have THREE DAYS to attach our support letters to the bill so that he reads our letters when he gets the bill!
We need people all over the country to directly email the governor to sign AB3077! We may ask you to call the Governor after Labor day, but this push is to send emails to coincide with the bill landing on the Governor's desk.
By sending one email, you can help remove BPD stigma from legislation and improve access to judicial rights for people with BPD.
You will find the instructions below, with a template letter to email. All letters are due by August 30th at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Thank you so much for helping us to end discrimination in legislation against people with BPD!
Five Simple Steps to Email your Letter”
1. Download Template Letter Below
2. Customize it with the date, your name and contact information
3. Copy and Paste the body of the letter into an email
4. Subject Line: "Sign AB3077 to Improve Judicial Rights for People with BPD"
5. Email to Governor Gavin Newsom to:
** Deadline: Friday, August 30, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Thank you for making a difference for people with BPD who need treatment, not prison, in California!
We did it! Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed AB 1412 into law removing borderline personality disorder as an exclusion from the Pretrial Prison Diversion Bill!! Since 2018, California Penal Code 1001.26 has allowed pretrial diversion for people with mental health disorders, like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depression, but it specifically excluded people diagnosed with BPD from accessing mental health treatment -- until NOW.
Because of your letters and phone calls, today people in California diagnosed with BPD who are charged with a crime will have the same right to pretrial diversion and treatment, instead of prison.
Because of your advocacy, people with BPD will now be seen as people suffering from a mental illness in need of care, not as criminals.
This victory is the first-time advocacy organizations came together to remove BPD discrimination from legislation.
Emotions Matter Inc. partnered with the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder, the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA), and Assemblyman Hart (Santa Barbara) to pass this bill. We testified at hearings for AB1412 and presented updated scientific research about BPD.
Thank you to our Advocacy Committee members for their leadership. Thank you also to all of the people from around the country who sent letters and phone calls to Governor Newsom. We did it, together!
Update: AB1412 is still on Governor Newsom’s Desk! Ask him again to Sign TODAY using another portal!
Emotions Matter's Advocacy Committee received an update that AB1412 is still on Governor Newsom’s desk and has not yet been signed into law.
We have been asked by our community partners, the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CCCBHA) and the NEA-BPD to continue our advocacy by:
Submitting letters through the Governor’s Contact Portal.
Making Phone Calls.
Governor Newsom has until October 14th to sign the bill.
It is NOT TOO LATE even if you have already submitted a letter to help eliminate BPD discrimination and stigma. Thank you!
Emotions Matter’s Advocacy Committee
5 Steps to Contact Governor Newsom via Portal
1. Go to the Governor’s Portal. https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
2. Select Topic “An Active Bill” - Specific Bill: “AB 1412 - Pretrial Diversion for Borderline Personality Disorder” - Purpose: “leave a message”
3. Stance: click “PRO” that you are for the bill.
4. Message Subject: “Please Sign AB1412”
5. Enter a personal message and hit next, followed by your contact information and submit!
Call Instructions
Call Governor Newsom’s Office at 916-445-2841. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish;
Press 6 to speak to a representative; Press 3 to leave a message.
Share why you want the Governor to Vote for AB1412. Sample Call Script (feel free to adapt):
Hi, my name is (insert your name). I am calling from (city and state).
I am calling today to ask Governor Newsom to sign Bill AB1412, ending the discrimination in the Pretrial Diversion Bill against those suffering from borderline personality disorder.
We urge the governor to grant people with borderline personality disorder the same access to life-saving care as other people with major mental health disorders covered by the bill.
By signing AB1412, Governor Newsom can help decrease stigma and improve public perception towards borderline personality disorder, and give people a chance for recovery.
Thank you for your time and giving this message to the Governor. Good-Bye.
AB 1412 Heads to Senate Public Safety Committe Hearing on June 12th! Support Letters Needed!
Did you know that since 2018 people with BPD charged with a non-violent offenses in California have been incarcerated without access to mental health treatment?
According to Section 1001.36 of the California Penal Code, people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder are eligible for care, but due to stigma, people with BPD are not. To learn more about this legislation, read here:
The California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, Emotions Matter and the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD), and other mental health organizations are working together to change this, and we need your help.
Here are two actions you can take today to change this:
Sign your Name to the Support letter. Click button below for the letter template. If you are signing as an individual, download the individual letter. If you are signing representing an organization, download the organization letter.
Submit it to the California Legislature Position Letter Portal. (click below for step by step instructions on how to use the portal).
*** Time is of the essence -deadline for the letters is June 6th!
Let us know when you have submitted it here, or if you want to volunteer to help with this California advocacy campaign: https://forms.gle/ePY1tADsy5c2fySAA
Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D. and John Drebinger of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, and advocate Harry Bruell testify before the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 11th for AB1412.
AB 1412 Campaign Update!
Thank you to Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D. and John Drebinger of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, and advocate Harry Bruell for their advocacy on behalf of CA bill AB1412 to remove borderline personality disorder as an exclusion to the California Mental Health Prison Diversion Bill.
Dr. Clark Harvey and Mr. Bruell testified before the Assembly Public Safety Committee at a hearing on Tuesday, April 11th, and the Committee voted 6-0 to move this bill on to the Appropriations Committee.
Emotions Matter and NEA-BPD thanks everyone who wrote letters to support this advocacy effort! For more information about how to get involved in advocacy, and to stay informed about this bill’s progress during this legislative season, complete our Advocacy Get Involved Form.
Do you have personal experience with borderline personality disorder and the criminal justice system?
Emotions Matter, the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder and the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies are working together with other mental health organizations to gather testimonials in support of including BPD as a diagnosis eligible for mental health treatment under the pre-trial diversion bill in CA.
If you or someone you know has BPD and been involved in the criminal justice system, we want to hear from you. Click the google form here or below to share your story: https://forms.gle/tKDXs7o4qaAN3dsAA
We are seeking testimonials on how this bill will impact the community.
Thank you for sharing your stories with us! Testimonials will only be shared with your permission.
