Last night, the California Legislature voted to pass the Budget Act of 2026, and sent it to Governor Newsom.

“On every issue the disability community dedicated significant advocacy to, the Legislature’s budget bill is better than what the Governor first proposed. Although California is not fully leading on these issues the way we’d want them to, we appreciate this is a significant improvement from the May Revise. We are grateful for the advocates who called, emailed, traveled to Sacramento, rallied, and met with legislative offices; and we appreciate the Legislature’s leadership to push back against the initial proposed cuts. Now it is time for the final push. We must use our state’s resources more wisely to meet people’s needs now and in the future,” says Andy Imparato, Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights California.

On healthcare, the Budget Act:

• Rejects all three proposed cuts to IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services);
• Still lowers the asset limit (currently at $130,000), but lowers it to $21,000 instead of $2,000 and delays the start of this new limit to July 2027; and
• Keeps access to full-scope Medi-Cal for certain humanitarian immigrants through July 2027, but does not keep funding full-scope access for them after that point.

On mental health, the Budget Act:

• Restores state funding for mobile crisis response services;
• Restores full funding for the Behavioral Health Innovation Partnership Fund; and
• Restores funding for behavioral health community advocacy and engagement.

On housing and homelessness, the Budget Act:

• Allocates $700 million for affordable housing programs including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and the Multifamily Housing Program; and
• Includes $900 million for Round 7 of Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grants.

This is not the final budget yet. The Governor and legislative leaders now have up to two weeks to negotiate a final budget deal before the new state fiscal year begins on July 1. Disability Rights California continues to work diligently to analyze and inform the community on updates as they become available. We remain steadfast in our work to amplify the needs of Californians with disabilities, and in our advocacy to finalize a budget that values the lives of all Californians.

Media Contact

Sam Mickens
Director of Communications
(646) 945-0918
Sam.Mickens@disabilityrightsca.org

Disability Rights California (DRC) – Is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. The mission of DRC is to defend, advance, and strengthen the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.