California · Through 2026-09-13

GOV § 856

(a) Neither a public entity nor a public employee acting within the scope of his employment is liable for any injury resulting from determining in accordance with any applicable enactment:
(1) Whether to confine a person for mental illness or addiction.
(2) The terms and conditions of confinement for mental illness or addiction.
(3) Whether to parole, grant a leave of absence to, or release a person confined for mental illness or addiction.
(b) A public employee is not liable for carrying out with due care a determination described in subdivision (a).
(c) Nothing in this section exonerates a public employee from liability for injury proximately caused by his negligent or wrongful act or omission in carrying out or failing to carry out:
(1) A determination to confine or not to confine a person for mental illness or addiction.
(2) The terms or conditions of confinement of a person for mental illness or addiction.
(3) A determination to parole, grant a leave of absence to, or release a person confined for mental illness or addiction.

Where this section sits in the code

Government Code - GOV
TITLE 1. GENERAL [100. - 7931.000.]
DIVISION 3.6. CLAIMS AND ACTIONS AGAINST PUBLIC ENTITIES AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES [810. - 998.3.]
PART 2. LIABILITY OF PUBLIC ENTITIES AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES [814. - 895.8.]
CHAPTER 5. Medical, Hospital and Public Health Activities [854. - 856.6.]

(a) Neither a public entity nor a public employee acting within the scope of his employment is liable for any injury resulting from determining in accordance with any applicable enactment:

(1) Whether to confine a person for mental illness or addiction.

(2) The terms and conditions of confinement for mental illness or addiction.

(3) Whether to parole, grant a leave of absence to, or release a person confined for mental illness or addiction.

(b) A public employee is not liable for carrying out with due care a determination described in subdivision (a).

(c) Nothing in this section exonerates a public employee from liability for injury proximately caused by his negligent or wrongful act or omission in carrying out or failing to carry out:

(1) A determination to confine or not to confine a person for mental illness or addiction.

(2) The terms or conditions of confinement of a person for mental illness or addiction.

(3) A determination to parole, grant a leave of absence to, or release a person confined for mental illness or addiction.

Collected 2026-09-14T05:56:33Z. Source file · JSON

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