Technology

Existing law makes it unlawful for any person to use a bot to communicate or interact with another person in this state online with the intent to mislead the other person about its artificial identity for the purposes of knowingly deceiving the person about the content of the communication in order to incentivize a purchase or sale of goods or services in a commercial transaction or to influence a vote in an election, unless the person using the bot discloses that it is a bot. Existing law defines a "bot" as an automated online account where all or substantially all of the actions or posts of that account are not the result of a person. This bill would require a person who uses a bot to autonomously communicate with another to ensure that the bot discloses to any person with whom the bot communicates when the bot first communicates with the person that the bot is a bot and not a human being, answers truthfully any query from a person regarding its identity as a bot or a human, and refrains from attempting to mislead a person regarding its identity as a bot. The bill would redefine "bot" to mean an automated online account or application that a reasonable person could believe is a human being and with respect to which substantially all of the actions or posts of that account or application are the outputs of generative artificial intelligence, as defined. The bill would exempt from its provisions a person who uses a bot that is required to comply with a more prescriptive disclosure scheme. This bill would authorize the Attorney General, a district attorney, a county counsel, a city attorney, or a city prosecutor to bring a civil action to punish noncompliance, as prescribed.

Existing law establishes the Office of Information Security within the Department of Technology for the purpose of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of state systems and applications and to promote and protect privacy as part of the development and operations of state systems and applications to ensure the trust of the residents of this state. Existing law requires specified state entities to implement the policies and procedures issued by the office. Existing law additionally authorizes the office to conduct, or require to be conducted, an independent security assessment of every state agency, department, or office, as specified. Existing law requires every state agency, as specified, to certify, by February 1 annually, to the office that the agency is in compliance with all adopted policies, standards, and procedures and to include a plan of action and milestones, as specified. This bill would require every state agency, as specified, and subject to specified exceptions, to implement Zero Trust architecture for all data, hardware, software, internal systems, and essential third-party software, including for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, to achieve prescribed levels of maturity based on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Maturity Model, as defined, by specified dates. In implementing Zero Trust architecture, the bill would require state agencies to prioritize the use of solutions that comply with, are authorized by, or align to federal guidelines, programs, and frameworks and, at a minimum, prioritize multifactor authentication for access to all systems and data, enterprise endpoint detection and response solutions, and robust logging practices, as specified. The bill would require the office's chief to develop or revise uniform technology policies, standards, and procedures for use by all state agencies in Zero Trust architecture to achieve specified maturity levels on all systems in the State Administrative Manual and Statewide Information Management Manual. The bill would require the chief to update requirements for existing annual reporting activities to collect information relating to the progress state agencies are making to increase internal defenses of agency systems. The bill would authorize the chief to update existing annual reporting activities to include how a state agency is progressing with respect to specified goals. The bill would also state the Legislature's intent that the bill's provisions be implemented in a manner consistent with the state's timely compliance with requirements that are conditions to receipt of federal funds. The bill would also make related legislative findings and declarations.

Existing law creates the California Computer Science Coordinator as a position within the State Department of Education to provide statewide coordination in, among other things, implementing the computer science content standards and leading the implementation of the Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan, as provided. This bill would establish the California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program for specified purposes, including increasing the number of public high schools offering a computer science course to increase pupil access to computer science education and increasing the computer science course access of pupils eligible for free or reduced-priced meals and pupils that are underrepresented in the field of computer science. The bill would also establish the California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program Working Group that includes the coordinator and nonprofit organizations and private industry stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience in computer science education. The bill would authorize only public high schools that do not offer computer science courses to be eligible to voluntarily participate in the grant program. The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, as defined, to administer the grant program. If there are multiple funding entities, the bill, among other things, would require each funding entity to determine how the funds that it contributes to the grant program will be spent, provided that expenditure aligns with the grant program's purposes, and require the funding entities to coordinate implementation of the grant program. The bill would require the funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to select the public high schools to participate in the grant program, as provided. The bill would require the grant program to be funded through contributions, gifts, grants, in-kind donations, and donations from the funding entity or funding entities, and would specify the allowable uses of those funds. The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant program and submit an interim report to certain legislative committees on or before August 1, 2027, and a final report on or before July 1, 2028, as specified. The bill would repeal the grant program's provisions as of January 1, 2029. The bill would separately require the department, on or before June 30, 2028, and annually thereafter, to publicly post specified computer science course-related data on its internet website, as specified.

Existing law, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, prohibits a government entity from compelling the production of, or access to, electronic communication information or electronic device information, as defined, without a search warrant, wiretap order, order for electronic reader records, or subpoena issued pursuant to specified conditions. Existing law authorizes a government entity to access electronic device information by means of physical interaction or electronic communication with the device in certain circumstances, including, pursuant to the specific consent of the authorized possessor of the device or if the government entity, in good faith, believes that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to a person requires access to the information. Existing law requires a government entity that obtains electronic information pursuant to an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to a person, within 3 court days after obtaining the electronic information, to file with the appropriate court an application for a warrant or order setting forth the facts giving rise to the emergency. Existing law requires the court to promptly rule on the application and to destroy all information obtained upon a finding that the facts did not give rise to an emergency or upon rejecting the application on any other ground. This bill would additionally authorize a government entity to access electronic device information with the specific consent of an individual who locates a tracking or surveillance device, as defined, and the device is reasonably believed to have been used to track or record the individual without their permission. The bill would require a government entity that obtains information through this method, within 3 court days after obtaining the electronic information, to follow the above process for applying for a warrant or order from a court by setting forth the facts that describe the circumstances and would require the court to promptly rule on the application and order the immediate destruction of all information obtained upon a finding that the facts were not as described. Existing law authorizes an individual whose information is targeted by a warrant, order, or other legal process, or other specified recipients of a warrant, that is inconsistent with the act or the California or United States Constitution, to petition the issuing court to void or modify the warrant, order, or process, or to order the destruction of any information obtained in violation of the act or the California or United States Constitution. This bill would recast the provisions described above to authorize an individual whose information is sought or obtained by a government entity in a manner that is inconsistent with the act or the California or United States Constitution, or other specified recipients of a warrant, order, legal process, request, or demand seeking the individual's information, to petition a court to void or modify the warrant, order, other legal process, request, or demand to order the destruction of the information.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to appoint a chief internal auditor to hold office at the pleasure of the commission. Existing law requires the chief internal auditor to be responsible for the oversight of the internal audit unit and to plan, initiate, and perform audits of key financial, management, operational, and information technology functions within the commission to improve accountability and transparency to executive and state management. This bill would delete the provision providing for the appointment of the chief internal auditor and instead provide that, effective January 1, 2026, the internal audit unit of the commission and its staff are transferred to the Independent Office of Audits and Investigations, which the bill would establish within the commission, as specified. The bill would provide for the appointment and removal of the director of the office, who would have the title of Inspector General. The bill would require that the office have access and authority to examine all records, files, documents, accounts, reports, correspondence, or other property of the commission, public utilities, and other entities regulated by the commission, as specified. The bill would require the Inspector General to report to the Governor and the Legislature, as provided. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law establishes the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program and required the Public Utilities Commission to administer a surcharge to collect revenues of up to $100,000,000 per year until January 1, 2025, subject to an annual appropriation of moneys by the Legislature, to allow providers of equipment and service pursuant to the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program to recover their costs as they are incurred. Existing law establishes the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund for the program described above. This bill would extend the requirement on the commission to collect the surcharge described above until December 31, 2034, subject to annual appropriation of moneys by the Legislature, and would require the commission to transfer moneys it collects from the surcharge to the Controller for deposit into the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund. Existing law requires the commission to annually review the surcharge level and the balances in the fund identified above. Existing law authorized, until January 1, 2025, the commission to make necessary adjustments to the surcharge to ensure that the programs supported by the surcharge are adequately funded and that the fund balances are not excessive, as defined. This bill would repeal that requirement and, instead, would authorize the commission to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding appropriations under the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program. Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) grants to a consumer various rights with respect to personal information, as defined, that is collected by a business, as defined, including the right to request that a business delete personal information about the consumer that the business has collected from the consumer. The California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 24 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, amended, added to, and reenacted the CCPA. The CCPA establishes the California Privacy Protection Agency with full administrative power, authority, and jurisdiction to implement and enforce the CCPA. The CCPA creates the Consumer Privacy Fund in the State Treasury and makes moneys in the fund available upon appropriation by the Legislature first to offset any costs incurred by the state courts in connection with actions brought to enforce the CCPA, the costs incurred by the Attorney General in carrying out the Attorney General's duties under the CCPA, and then for the purposes of establishing an investment fund in the State Treasury, with any earnings or interest from the fund to be deposited into the General Fund, and making grants to promote and protect consumer privacy, educate children in the area of online privacy, and fund cooperative programs with international law enforcement organizations to combat fraudulent activities with respect to consumer data breaches, as prescribed. This bill would revise and restructure the Consumer Privacy Fund by creating the Consumer Privacy Subfund, the Attorney General Consumer Privacy Enforcement Subfund, and the Consumer Privacy Grant Subfund within the fund. The bill would require moneys in the fund and each subfund to be used for prescribed purposes, and make moneys in the fund and each subfund available upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would require 95% of any administrative fine recovered in an action brought by the agency for a violation of the CPPA, and of the proceeds of any settlement of those actions, to be deposited into the Consumer Privacy Subfund to be used exclusively by the agency in carrying out its duties under the CCPA, and 95% of any civil penalty recovered in an action brought by the Attorney General for a violation of the CCPA to be deposited into the Attorney General Consumer Privacy Enforcement Subfund to be used exclusively by the Attorney General in carrying out its duties under the CCPA. The bill would require 5% of any administrative fine recovered in an action brought by the agency for a violation of the CCPA, and of the proceeds of any settlement of those actions, to be deposited into the Consumer Privacy Grant Subfund, and 5% of any civil penalty recovered in an action brought by the Attorney General for a violation of the CCPA to be deposited into that subfund. The bill would require funds deposited into the Consumer Privacy Grant Subfund to be used exclusively by the agency to administer and distribute grants to promote and protect consumer privacy, educate children in the area of online privacy, and fund cooperative programs with international law enforcement organizations to combat fraudulent activities with respect to consumer data breaches. The bill would require the agency, subject to that provision, to make grants from the subfund by distributing 13 of the amount allocated for grant funding to specified grant recipients, including nonprofit organizations to promote and protect consumer privacy. The bill would require the agency to begin administering the grant program when the amount of funds within the subfund exceeds $300,000. The bill would require specified percentages of any remaining funds in the Consumer Privacy Fund that were not appropriated as part of the 2025 Budget Act to be transferred on a one-time basis in the 2025–26 fiscal year to each subfund, including that 45% is transferred to the Consumer Privacy Subfund, 45% is transferred to the Attorney General Consumer Privacy Enforcement Subfund, and 10% is transferred to the Consumer Privacy Grant Subfund. This bill would declare that the above provisions further the purposes and intent of the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020. (2) Existing law establishes the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and gives the department the responsibility for administering various laws. Existing law establishes the Financial Protection Fund to support the department in the administration of these laws, and requires that all expenses and salaries of the department be paid out of the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes. Existing law provides that the chief officer of the department is the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation. Existing law requires various entities to pay various fees to the commissioner for various services or licenses provided by the commissioner and the department. This bill would change some of those fees, as specified. The bill would also make other technical changes. (3) When a state or local agency is required or requested by law to submit a report to the Legislature, existing law requires submission of the report as a printed copy to the Secretary of the Senate, an electronic copy to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and an electronic or printed copy to the Legislative Counsel. This bill would instead require a state or local agency report to the Legislature to be submitted as electronic copies to the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and the Legislative Counsel. (4) Existing law requires a state agency to review all proprietary state lands under its jurisdiction, as specified, to determine what land is in excess of its needs, and to report on these lands to the Department of General Services. Existing law prescribes a process for the disposition of surplus state property. This bill would require the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, upon approval from the Department of Finance, to notify the Department of General Services and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of any state real property under its jurisdiction that has been determined to be excess to its needs. The bill would authorize the Department of General Services, upon authorization by the Legislature, to sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of excess state real property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as specified. Notwithstanding those provisions, the bill would authorize the Department of General Services to execute leases for those properties, as provided. The bill would require that revenues received pursuant to the bill's provisions, except those deposited into the Deficit Recovery Bond Retirement Sinking Fund Subaccount and the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties, and those used to reimburse costs and expenses incurred by the Department of General Services, be deposited into the Property Acquisition Law Money Account and be available for transfer into the Architectural Revolving Fund for expenditure by the Department of General Services to improve the likelihood of successful redevelopment of the property, as provided. Because the bill would require revenues to be transferred into continuously appropriated accounts and funds, it would make an appropriation. (5) Existing law generally requires a state agency to obtain written consent of the Attorney General before employing in-house counsel, as defined, to represent a state agency or employee in any judicial or administrative adjudicative proceeding, or contracting with outside counsel, as defined. Existing law exempts specified circumstances from these requirements, including the employment by certain state officers and agencies or when specifically waived pursuant to other provisions. Existing law specifies that provisions relating to legal representation of state agencies do not prohibit a state agency from obtaining legal services from the Attorney General for any purpose. This bill would also exempt the employment of outside counsel for specified purposes relating to civil discovery from the above-described requirement to obtain written consent of the Attorney General. The bill would revise and recast the latter provision to instead specify these provisions do not prohibit a state agency from requesting legal representation or legal services from the Attorney General for any purpose. Existing law prohibits a state agency from employing any in-house counsel to act on behalf of the state agency or its employees in any judicial or administrative adjudicative proceeding in which, among other things, the agency is interested, or from contracting with outside counsel or any purpose, unless the agency has first obtained the written consent of the Attorney General, as described above. Existing law exempts from this prohibition, among other state officers and agencies, the Regents of the University of California. This bill would also include the office of the Governor among the state officers and agencies that are exempt from the prohibition on employing in-house counsel without obtaining written consent of the Attorney General as described above, and would also exempt from that prohibition the representation of a state agency related to civil discovery in any action brought by the Attorney General in their independent capacity on behalf of the people of the State of California or the State of California, as specified. The bill would specify that nothing in the latter exemption prohibits a state agency from requesting representation from the Attorney General in any other proceeding, and specify that the purpose of the prohibition is to promote fiscal efficiency and economy. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that the overall efficiency and economy in state government is to be enhanced by the employment of the Attorney General as counsel for the representation of state agencies and employees in judicial and administrative adjudicative proceedings. This bill would specify that it is the overall fiscal efficiency and economy in state government that is to be enhanced as described above, and make additional findings and declarations related to its provisions. The bill would specify, among other things, that the Attorney General has no possession, custody, or control over any state agency's documents or electronically stored information for purposes of criminal or civil discovery or any other purpose. (6) Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. Existing law creates in the State Treasury the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund for the receipt and deposit of moneys received by the state from Indian tribes pursuant to the terms of gaming compacts entered into with the state. Existing law authorizes moneys in the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to be appropriated for certain purposes, including, among others, for programs designed to address gambling addiction, support of state and local governmental agencies impacted by tribal government gaming, and compensation for regulatory costs incurred in connection with implementing and administering tribal-state gaming compacts. Existing law establishes an order of priority for funding in the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund. This bill would delete the authorization for moneys in the fund to be appropriated for support of state and local governmental agencies impacted by tribal government gaming. The bill would authorize moneys in the fund to be appropriated for compensation for regulatory costs incurred in connection with implementing and administering class III gaming secretarial procedures. The bill would delete the order of priority for funding. (7) Existing law creates the California Small Business Technical Assistance Program within the California Office of Small Business Advocate, under the direct authority of the Small Business Advocate. Existing law requires the office to administer the program to provide grants to expand the capacity of small business development technical assistance centers in California, as specified. Existing law also requires the office, subject to appropriation of necessary funds by the Legislature, to establish a supplemental grant program designated as the California Dream Fund Program to provide microgrants disbursed through California Small Business Technical Assistance Program grantees to seed entrepreneurship and small business creation. Existing law sets forth the criteria that an applicant must meet to be eligible to participate in these programs. This bill would, if an applicant's federal contract was canceled, frozen, or rescinded, except as specified, in the 2024–25 fiscal year, for grants made in fiscal years 2025–26 to 2027–28, inclusive, establish, until June 30, 2029, specified exceptions and modifications to the eligibility criteria. The bill would require the office to review and confirm that the applicant continues to meet state performance standards and provides high-quality, equitable technical assistance services, and to report its findings and actions to the Legislature. (8) The Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act establishes the Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) in the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, that is governed by a board of directors. Existing law, the Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2020, authorizes the I-Bank, under the Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund Program, to provide financial assistance to any eligible sponsor or participating party for eligible climate catalyst projects, either directly to the sponsor or participating party or to a lending or financial institution, as specified. Existing law establishes the Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund within the State Treasury, which is continuously appropriated for purposes of the program, except as specified. Existing law requires the I-Bank to adopt a climate catalyst financing plan, as defined, in consultation with specified state agencies. Existing law identifies areas of climate catalyst projects and consulting agencies for each area. This bill would revise and recast the above-described climate catalyst financing plan provisions to instead require the I-Bank to adopt a climate catalyst plan for each category of climate catalyst projects identified, in consultation with the corresponding consulting agencies. The bill would rename the act, program, and fund, as specified, and would make conforming changes throughout. Existing law requires the I-Bank by January 1 of each year, to submit to prescribed recipients a report containing information on the I-Bank's activities relating to the infrastructure bank fund and programs for the preceding fiscal year. This bill would additionally require the I-Bank to submit the above-described report to the legislative budget subcommittees related to the climate. The bill would also require the I-Bank to provide written notification to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee when federal funds are fully recycled into state dollars before committing to any additional financing projects. Existing law requires the I-Bank, in each fiscal year following the adoption of the initial climate catalyst financing plan, to contact each consulting agency to discuss potential revisions to the plan and requires the I-Bank to consider adopting a revised plan reflecting any material revisions. This bill would instead authorize the I-Bank to consider adopting a revised climate catalyst financing plan if consultation with the consulting agencies results in proposed revisions. The bill would require any revisions to, or repeals of, a climate catalyst financing plan to take effect 30 days after the I-Bank provides written notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, or not sooner than whatever lesser time after that notification the chairperson of the joint committee, or the chairperson's designee, may determine. The bill would remove the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the State Air Resources Board, the Department of Conservation, and the Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery as consulting agencies for climate catalyst projects relating to the federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law requires the I-Bank, by January 1 of each year, to prepare and submit a report regarding Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund Program activity, including specified financing information. This bill would additionally require that the above-described report include the total amount of federal moneys applied to the climate catalyst project. Existing law authorizes the I-Bank to provide financial assistance only for climate catalyst projects that the I-Bank approved before July 1, 2025. This bill would extend the July 1, 2025, date to December 31, 2031, thereby extending the financial assistance authorization. By extending the operation of a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. Existing law exempts from public disclosure specified financial information and records provided to the I-Bank on and after August 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2025. This bill would extend the July 1, 2025, date to January 1, 2032. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. (9) The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. Existing law requires the city or county's planning agency, after the legislative body has adopted a general plan, to submit an annual report to the legislative body, the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Existing law requires the housing element portion of the annual report to be prepared through the use of standards, forms, and definitions adopted by the Department of Housing and Community Development and exempts those standards, forms, and definitions from the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. This bill would similarly require the annual report, except for the housing element portion as described above, to be prepared through the use of standards, forms, and definitions adopted by the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and would also exempt these standards, forms, and definitions from the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. By imposing new duties on a city or county's planning agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Chapter 41 of the Statutes of 2024 renamed the Governor's Office of Planning and Research the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and requires all references to the Governor's Office of Planning and Research to be deemed references to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. This bill would correct an outdated reference to the Office of Planning and Research. (10) Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, administered by the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and requires the office to develop the California Climate Change Assessment to provide, among other products, reports that examine how climate change will affect the welfare of vulnerable communities and decision-support tools for organizations that serve vulnerable communities. For these and related purposes, existing law defines "vulnerable communities" as having the meaning of "vulnerable communities" that was adopted by the Integrated Climate Adaption and Resiliency Program Technical Advisory Council at the council's April 2, 2018, meeting and recorded in the "Defining Vulnerable Communities in the Context of Climate Adaptation" resource guide published by the office in July 2018. This bill would provide that, for these and related purposes, "vulnerable communities" has the meaning of "vulnerable communities" adopted by the council in the most up-to-date "Defining Vulnerable Communities in the Context of Climate Adaptation" resource guide published by the office. (11) Existing law, the California Hope, Opportunity, Perseverance, and Empowerment (HOPE) for Children Trust Account Act, establishes a program to provide a trust fund account to an eligible child. For purposes of that act, an "eligible child" is defined to include minor residents of California who are specified dependents or wards under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court in foster care with reunification services terminated by court order, or who have a parent, Indian custodian, or legal guardian who died due to COVID-19 during the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency and meet a specified family household income limit. Existing law establishes the HOPE for Children Trust Account Fund in the State Treasury, and continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the board and Treasurer for implementation of the program. This bill would expand the definition of "eligible child" to include residents of California who are 18 years of age or older who, prior to attaining 18 years of age, had a parent, Indian custodian, or legal guardian who died due to COVID-19 during the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency and met the specified family household income limit, thereby expanding eligibility for a HOPE trust account. By expanding eligibility for HOPE trust accounts, which are funded through a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (12) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (13) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.