Public entity liability: payment of claims.

The Tort Claims Act provides for the liability and immunity of a governmental entity for its acts or omissions that cause harm to persons. Existing law provides that any claim for money or damages against the state is required to be presented to the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board within a specified period of time. Existing law requires the board, upon allowing a claim for which the Director of Finance certifies that a sufficient appropriation for the payment of the claim exists, to designate the fund from which the claim is to be paid. This bill would require the board to provide notice to the chairpersons of the committees in each house of the Legislature that consider appropriations and the annual Budget Act, and the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, within a specified period of time prior to allowing either the use of a current year appropriation to pay claims for prior year costs of $500,000 or more, or claims from a single provider of goods or services with respect to a single department that exceed $500,000 within one year.