(a) For purposes of this article, “department” means the Department of Justice.
(b) The fund is under the control of the department. The department shall maintain accounting records pertaining to the fund, including subsidiary records of individual litigation deposits and the disbursements from the fund.
(c) The department shall file a claim with the Controller to pay out money in the fund to whomever and at the time the department directs. However, notwithstanding Section 13340, if a sum of money in the fund was deposited pursuant to order or direction of the court, that sum shall be paid to whomever and at the time the court directs. The department may expend revenue transferred from the fund to the Legal Services Revolving Fund only upon approval by the Department of Finance. The department shall submit a written application to the Department of Finance to request approval for the expenditure. The request shall be deemed approved if the Department of Finance neither approves nor disapproves the request within 30 days of receipt of the application.
(d) Any residue remaining in a deposit account after satisfaction of all court-directed claims, or payment of departmental expenditures for that account shall be transferred no later than July 1 of each fiscal year to the General Fund.
(e) The department shall prepare and submit to the chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the chairpersons of the fiscal committees of the Senate and the Assembly, and the Director of Finance, quarterly reports concerning the activity of the fund that detail the number of deposits received, the receipt of interest income, disbursements to claimants, and what amount, if any, was used for the litigation costs of the department.
(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 74, Sec. 40. Effective July 19, 2005.)