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Commission for Behavioral Health expands membership, readies $20 million Innovation Partnership Fund
Summary
The newly reconstituted Commission for Behavioral Health described expanded membership and transition work under Proposition 1 and said it will solicit concept papers this spring as it prepares competitive grant criteria for a $20 million annual Innovation Partnership Fund.
The Commission for Behavioral Health briefed the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health on April 9 about its transition under Proposition 1 and plans for the Innovation Partnership Fund, an annual $20 million allocation the commission will use for grants to drive innovation and improve outcomes.
Interim Executive Director Will Lightbourne said the commission’s membership expanded from 16 to 27 voting members and that the body is prioritizing onboarding and transparency as it assumes new responsibilities. "Starting in 2026, we also become responsible for the Innovation Partnership Fund," Lightbourne said, and described an initial outreach to stakeholders and a call for concept papers to be returned by mid‑April.
The commission said it will review concept responses at its April meeting and expects a deeper deliberation in May about priorities and implementation approaches. Lightbourne said the commission intends competitive procurements and will seek commitments from potential public‑private partners. "We will be looking for bankable assurances from anyone who is offering partnership in this," he said.
Other responsibilities the commission will continue or expand include oversight of county integrated plans, independent monitoring of county spending under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), grantmaking for community empowerment contracts and evaluations of existing state behavioral health programs.
Why it matters: Proposition 1 changed several governance features and expanded the commission’s membership and role in oversight, technical assistance and grantmaking. The Innovation Partnership Fund is a new statewide tool intended to pilot or scale promising models — with the statute emphasizing benefits to historically underserved populations.
Ending: The commission said it will provide the Legislature with regular reports and that it expects to have competitive processes, evaluation plans and public transparency in place by the time the fund becomes active on July 1, 2026.
