Income taxes: voluntary contributions: American Red Cross, California Chapters Fund.

The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes taxpayers to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of specified funds. This bill would authorize taxpayers to designate on their tax returns that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the American Red Cross, California Chapters Fund, which is created by this bill. This bill would require that all moneys contributed to the fund pursuant to these provisions, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller for reimbursement and to the Office of Emergency Services to disburse the moneys to the American Red Cross, California Chapters for planning and implementing programs for disaster relief, and to ensure state oversight of that disbursement, as prescribed. This bill also would require a plan for the use of these contributions to be submitted to the Office of Emergency Services, as provided. This bill would provide that these voluntary contribution provisions are inoperative and repealed on the earlier of the following: inoperative on January 1 of the 5th taxable year following the first appearance of the fund on the tax return and repealed on December 1 of that year or inoperative for taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of the calendar year in which the Franchise Tax Board estimates by September 1 that the contributions made on returns filed in that calendar year will be less than $250,000, or an adjusted amount for subsequent taxable years, and repealed on December 1 of that calendar year.