In a powerful affirmation of community compassion, California has taken a bold step to protect those who dedicate their lives to helping the most vulnerable. Starting January 1st, a new law ensures that outreach workers, volunteers, and faith-based organizations can continue their vital work without fear of criminal penalties.

Senate Bill 364 represents a triumph for humanity and common sense. The law prevents cities and counties from passing ordinances that would prohibit individuals or organizations from providing essential assistance to homeless individuals—including legal services, medical care, food, and water.

"Service workers, good neighbors, faith-based organizations, and other community outreach groups can continue their critical work to assist people experiencing homelessness without fear of criminal penalty," the National Alliance to End Homelessness celebrated in their announcement of the law's passage.

The legislation comes at a crucial time when compassionate community members have faced increasing uncertainty about their ability to help. Following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that gave municipalities greater enforcement powers over homeless encampments, some cities began exploring restrictions on aid providers. Fremont, for instance, briefly made aiding homeless encampments a misdemeanor before reversing course.

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, who authored the bill, emphasized its practical importance: "The legislation provides commonsense protections for service providers, especially non-profits and faith-based ones, who are doing the work every day to assist unhoused Californians."

The law has garnered enthusiastic support from organizations on the front lines of addressing homelessness, including the California Homeless Union Statewide Organizing Council and the Coalition on Homelessness. These groups recognize that protecting compassionate action is essential to making meaningful progress.

Dr. Kyle Patton and others working with mobile medical units, like the Shasta Community Health Center HOPE program, represent the kind of dedicated professionals this law protects. These healthcare heroes bring critical services directly to those who need them most, often providing the only medical care homeless individuals receive.

While the final version of the bill was narrowed from its original scope, it maintains strong protections for those providing supportive services. The law acknowledges a fundamental truth: that communities solve homelessness through connection and care, not by criminalizing compassion.

The legislation reflects California's commitment to addressing homelessness through evidence-based, humane approaches. Rather than pushing vulnerable people further into the shadows, the state is ensuring that the helping hands reaching out to them can do so freely and safely.

Faith communities, medical professionals, legal advocates, and everyday volunteers can now continue their work with confidence, knowing that their acts of kindness are protected by law. This creates a stable foundation for the long-term relationships and trust-building that are essential to helping people transition out of homelessness.

As California moves forward, this law represents an investment in the power of community and the belief that protecting those who help others is not just good policy—it's the right thing to do. By safeguarding compassion, the state is enabling the very relationships and services that make lasting change possible.