SB 25

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) The California Children and Families Act of 1998, an initiative measure, requires that the California Children and Families Program, established by the act, be funded by certain taxes imposed on the sale and distribution of cigarettes and tobacco products and be deposited into the California Children and Families Trust Fund, and that the fund be used for the implementation of comprehensive early childhood development and smoking prevention programs. Existing law specifies that specified percentages of moneys allocated and appropriated from the trust shall be deposited in various accounts for expenditures by the California Children and Families Commission, also known as First 5 California, for various subjects relating to, and furthering the goals and purposes of, the act. Existing law prohibits amendment of this initiative measure by the Legislature unless the amendment is approved by the voters, or the amendment is accomplished by a vote of 23 of the membership of both houses of the Legislature and the amendment furthers the act and is consistent with its purposes. This bill, subject to voter approval, would eliminate those percentages for allocations to various accounts and would, instead, provide that those funds, with specified exceptions, shall be transferred to the General Fund for appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of the Healthy Families Program and the Medi-Cal program. The bill would provide for the distribution, as prescribed, of funds held by county children and families commissions and by the California Children and Families Commission that remain unencumbered on the date that the bill's provisions are approved by the voters. This bill would abolish the California Children and Families Commission and the county children and families commissions, effective 90 days after the bill is approved by the voters, and would repeal related obsolete provisions. This bill would require that its provisions be submitted to the voters for approval at the next statewide election. (2) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 19, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 19, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.