California Children and Families Act of 1998: use of funds.

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 that are deposited into the continuously appropriated California Children and Families Trust Fund. Existing law requires the fund to be used for the implementation of comprehensive early childhood development and smoking prevention programs. Under existing law, prescribed percentages of moneys allocated and appropriated from the trust fund are required to be deposited into various accounts for expenditure by the California Children and Families Commission, also known as First 5 California, and to local children and families trust funds, to be expended for various subjects relating to and furthering the goals and purposes of the act. Existing law prohibits moneys in the California Children and Families Trust Fund from being used to supplant state or local General Fund money for any purpose. 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 would establish the Children and Families Health and Human Services Fund. The bill would require specified amounts of state and local children and families commission funds to be deposited in the fund for the 2011–12 fiscal year, as specified. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys deposited in the Children and Families Health and Human Services Fund would be used to provide health and human services, including direct health care services, to children from birth through 5 years of age. 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 January 20, 2011. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 20, 2011, pursuant to the California Constitution. This bill would declare that it furthers, and is consistent with the purposes of, the California Children and Families Act of 1998. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.