Budget Act of 2008. California Children and Families Act: use of funds: services for children.

The California Children and Families Act of 1998, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 10 at the November 3, 1998, statewide general election, 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, that revenues 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 provides that prescribed percentages of moneys allocated and appropriated from the trust fund shall be deposited in various accounts, including the Mass Media Communications Account and the Unallocated Account, for expenditure by the California Children and Families Commission, also known as First 5 California, and county commission, 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. Existing law establishes various public programs to provide health care coverage and social services to children. This bill, subject to voter approval at the next statewide election, would revise certain provisions of the California Children and Families Act of 1998, to require designated unencumbered and unexpended funds in the California Children and Families Trust Fund to be redirected to support state health and human services programs, as described, for children up to 5 years of age. The bill, subject to voter approval, would eliminate the Mass Media Communications Account in the trust fund, and would reallocate the percentage payable to that account to the Unallocated Account. It would specify that moneys in the unallocated account would be used to ensure every county commission has a base level of funding of at least $400,000, and would enact other changes pertaining to county commissions. The bill, subject to voter approval, would require, prior to the distribution of moneys from the fund, that $268,000,000 be transferred annually, in specified fiscal years, to the Proposition 10 Health and Human Services Fund, which would be created by the bill. The bill would require these funds to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support state health and human services programs, as described. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.