The proposed legislation establishes the Community Criminal Justice Diversion Project as a six-year pilot initiative within the Behavioral Health Services Division of the Health Care Authority. The project aims to divert certain offenders from the criminal justice system to community-based services and treatment, with the goals of reducing crime, homelessness, and recidivism while improving public health. The project will be implemented in at least five counties across different judicial districts and will include a variety of program components such as a community referral process, mobile crisis response teams, and policies for pre-arrest and post-arrest diversion for specific offenses.

Additionally, the bill creates the Community Criminal Justice Diversion Project Fund to support the administration of the project and provide financial assistance to participants. Participants may be eligible for grant awards to establish a continuum of services and cover implementation costs. The division is tasked with collecting and analyzing data on the effectiveness of the diversion programs, and it is required to submit periodic reports to legislative committees, culminating in a final report to the governor and legislature by November 1, 2031. The fund will consist of various sources of income, and any unspent balance at the end of the project will revert to the general fund.