Alan Short (February 22, 1920 – March 6, 2004) was an American politician.

A third-generation Californian, He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II.

Short was elected as a Democrat to the California State Senate in 1954, representing Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties, and served for 20 years.

[1][2] He is recognized nationally in the United States for his Community Mental Health Service Act (Short-Doyle Act) of 1957,[3] co-authored with Assemblyman Donald D. Doyle (February 6, 1915 – January 31, 2011)[4][5] and signed into law by Governor Goodwin Knight, and is well known for his legislation in the field of mental health and developmental disabilities.

This article about a member of the California State Senate is a stub.