Rules Committee places 'Mental Health SF' on March 2020 ballot after hours of testimony

San Francisco’s Rules Committee on Oct. 30 introduced an ordinance called Mental Health SF and voted without objection to file the hearing and place the measure on the March 2020 ballot.

Supervisor Hillary Ronan, chair of the Rules Committee, described the proposal as a citywide system to provide low‑barrier, 24/7 access to mental‑health and substance‑use services, expanded case management tiers for people with differing needs, a drug sobering center, transportation supports and an Office of Private Insurance Accountability to help insured residents secure covered care. "We are finally moving forward," Ronan said, thanking frontline providers, unions and community advocates for hundreds of drafts that informed the measure.

Supervisor Matt Haney, a co‑sponsor, framed the effort as a structural reform to an emergency: "This is an issue of human rights," he said, urging coordinated data, accountability, and a shift away from police as the default first responders for psychiatric crises. Haney said housing must be…