California · Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC

WIC §5002: (a) Persons with mental health disorders and persons impaired by chronic alcoholism may no longer be judicially committed.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute prohibits judicial commitment of persons with mental health disorders, chronic alcoholism, or epilepsy, and establishes service eligibility instead. It preserves separate commitment laws for sex offenders, intellectually disabled persons, and criminal offenders.

Read the full statutory text

(a) Persons with mental health disorders and persons impaired by chronic alcoholism may no longer be judicially committed. (b) Persons with mental health disorders shall receive services pursuant to this part. Persons impaired by chronic alcoholism may receive services pursuant to this part if they elect to do so pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5225) of Chapter 2. (c) Persons with epilepsy may no longer be judicially committed. (d) This part shall not be construed to repeal or modify laws relating to the commitment of mentally disordered sex offenders, persons with an intellectual disability, and mentally disordered criminal offenders, except as specifically provided in Section 4011.6 of the Penal Code, or as specifically provided in other statutes.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.