California extends 988 advisory boards and mandates statewide 911-t…

The Frame

What this does

This bill changes how California coordinates mental health crisis responses by requiring direct technical between 911 and 988, ensuring that emergency dispatchers can seamlessly transfer callers to behavioral health specialists by 2029.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

California Health and Human Services Agency

The agency is assigned primary responsibility for statewide governance and implementation of the 988 system.

Office of Emergency Services

The office is required to procure a statewide interoperability platform and loses the requirement to appoint a 988 system director.

Emergency Medical Services Authority

The authority must develop and adopt mandatory statewide protocols for 911-to-988 call transfers by June 2027.

County behavioral health agencies

These agencies must be consulted by the Emergency Medical Services Authority to develop new call transfer protocols.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 2093 extends the operational life of state 988 advisory groups through 2029 and mandates the creation of a single statewide platform to enable real-time communication and call transfers between 988 suicide prevention centers and 911 emergency dispatchers. The bill also shifts primary governance of the 988 system to the California Health and Human Services Agency and requires the development of a new three-year expenditure plan for 988 surcharge funds.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This bill changes how California coordinates mental health crisis responses by requiring direct technical between 911 and 988, ensuring that emergency dispatchers can seamlessly transfer callers to behavioral health specialists by 2029.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will 988 and 911 be able to talk to each other?

Yes, the bill mandates the creation of a single statewide platform by 2029 to allow for real-time communication and 's' between 911 dispatchers and 988 crisis centers.

Who is in charge of the 988 system under this bill?

The California Health and Human Services Agency is given primary responsibility for statewide governance and implementation.

What happens to the advisory boards?

Their mandate to meet quarterly is extended through the end of 2029, after which the state may choose to disband or reconvene them.

News Coverage

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Connected Entities

organizationOffice of Emergency Services“Responsible for procuring the statewide interoperability platform.”Map →

organizationCalifornia Health and Human Services Agency“Primary agency responsible for statewide governance and implementation of the 98”Map →

organizationEmergency Medical Services Authority“Responsible for developing mandatory statewide call transfer protocols.”Map →

organizationState Department of Health Care Services“Responsible for oversight of 988 center operations and developing expenditure me”Map →

other988 State Suicide and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Fund“The fund used to support 988 centers and services.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

California extends 988 advisory boards and mandates statewide 911-to-988 call transfer protocols