BILL NUMBER: AB 1053CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 402 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 2, 2011 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 2, 2011 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 12, 2011 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 28, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 26, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gordon FEBRUARY 18, 2011 An act to amend Sections 100430 and 103625 of, and to amend, repeal, and add Section 100425 of, the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 903.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to local government. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1053, Gordon. Local government: penalties and fees. (1) Existing law requires that a base fee of $3 be paid by an applicant for a certified copy of a fetal death or death record and requires that a base fee of $3 be paid by a public agency or private adoption agency applicant, and a base fee of $9 be paid by any other applicant, for a certified copy of a birth certificate. Existing law authorizes the fee to be adjusted pursuant to a specified method, not to exceed the total increased cost of the program or service provided. This bill would raise each of those base fees by $9, as prescribed. This bill would remove the authorization to adjust the fee pursuant to that specified method, and commencing January 1, 2014, would require the fee to be adjusted pursuant to that specified method. The bill would declare that the increased fee would more accurately reflect the true cost of providing those documents. (2) Existing law requires the parent of any minor, or other person who is liable for the support of that minor, on whose behalf a petition is filed to make the minor a ward of the court as provided, when the minor is represented by appointed counsel, to be assessed a registration fee not to exceed $25 at the time legal services are provided, as long as the person is financially able to pay. This bill would raise that fee to $50. (3) This bill would make conforming changes and delete obsolete provisions. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The fees charged for providing certified copies of birth and death records have not kept pace with the true cost of providing certified copies of those records. Sections 5 and 6 of this act address those deficiencies by raising the fees charged for those records to a level that more accurately reflects the true costs incurred by the agencies providing those certified copies. (b) The fees charged for the issuance of certified birth and death records shall continue to reflect the true costs of the services provided as those fees are to be adjusted annually by the formula set forth in Section 100425 of the Health and Safety Code, and the amounts collected are prohibited from exceeding the total increased reasonable cost for the services provided. SEC. 2. Section 100425 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 100425. (a) The fees or charges for the issuance or renewal of any permit, license, registration, or document pursuant to Sections 1639.5, 1676, 1677, 2805, 11839.25, 106700, 106890, 106925, 107080, 107090, 107095, 107160, 110210, 110470, 111130, 111140, 111630, 112405, 112510, 112750, 112755, 113060, 113065, 115035, 115065, 115080, 116205, 117923, 117995, 118045, 118210, 118245 shall be adjusted annually by the percentage change printed in the Budget Act for those items appropriating funds to the state department. After the first annual adjustment of fees or charges pursuant to this section, the fees or charges subject to subsequent adjustment shall be the fees or charges for the prior calendar year. The percentage change shall be determined by the Department of Finance, and shall include at least the total percentage change in salaries and operating expenses of the state department. However, the total increase in amounts collected under this section shall not exceed the total increased cost of the program or service provided. (b) The state department shall publish annually a list of the actual numerical fee charges for each permit, license, certification, or registration governed by this section. (c) This adjustment of fees and publication of the fee list shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2014, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 3. Section 100425 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 100425. (a) The fees or charges for the issuance or renewal of any permit, license, registration, or document pursuant to Sections 1639.5, 1676, 1677, 2805, 11839.25, 103625, 106700, 106890, 106925, 107080, 107090, 107095, 107160, 110210, 110470, 111130, 111140, 111630, 112405, 112510, 112750, 112755, 113060, 113065, 114065, 115035, 115065, 115080, 116205, 117923, 117995, 118045, 118210, 118245 shall be adjusted annually by the percentage change printed in the Budget Act for those items appropriating funds to the state department. After the first annual adjustment of fees or charges pursuant to this section, the fees or charges subject to subsequent adjustment shall be the fees or charges for the prior calendar year. The percentage change shall be determined by the Department of Finance, and shall include at least the total percentage change in salaries and operating expenses of the state department. However, the total increase in amounts collected under this section shall not exceed the total increased cost of the program or service provided. (b) The state department shall publish annually a list of the actual numerical fee charges for each permit, license, certification, or registration governed by this section. (c) This adjustment of fees and publication of the fee list shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (d) With respect to the fees or charges pursuant to Section 103625, the actual dollar fee or charge shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar. (e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2014. SEC. 4. Section 100430 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 100430. (a) (1) The fees or charges for a record search or for the issuance of any license, permit, registration, or any other document pursuant to Section 26840 of the Government Code, or Section 102525, 102625, 102670, 102725, 102750, 103040.1, 103050, 103065, 103225, 103325, 103400, 103425, 103450, 103525, 103590, 103650, 103675, 103690, 103695, 103700, 103705, 103710, 103715, 103720, 103725, or 103735 of this code, may be adjusted annually by the percentage change determined pursuant to Section 100425. (2) The base amount to be adjusted shall be the statutory base amount of the fee or charge plus the sum of the prior adjustments to the statutory base amount. Whenever the statutory base amount is amended, the base amount shall be the new statutory base amount plus the sum of adjustments to the new statutory base amount calculated subsequent to the statutory base amendment. The actual dollar fee or charge shall be rounded to the next highest whole dollar. (b) Beginning January 1, 1983, the department shall annually publish a list of the actual numerical fee charges as adjusted pursuant to this section. This adjustment of fees and the publication of the fee list shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. SEC. 5. Section 103625 of the Health and Safety Code, as amended by Section 9 of Chapter 529 of the Statutes of 2010, is amended to read: 103625. (a) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be paid by the applicant for a certified copy of a fetal death or death record. (b) (1) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be paid by a public agency or licensed private adoption agency applicant for a certified copy of a birth certificate that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of eighteen dollars ($18) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a birth certificate. Four dollars ($4) of any eighteen-dollar ($18) fee is exempt from subdivision (e) and shall be paid either to a county children's trust fund or to the State Children's Trust Fund, in conformity with Article 5 (commencing with Section 18965) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Two dollars ($2) of any eighteen-dollar ($18) fee is exempt from subdivision (e) and shall be paid to the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Fund in conformity with Section 1628. (2) The board of supervisors of any county that has established a county children's trust fund may increase the fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate by up to three dollars ($3) for deposit in the county children's trust fund in conformity with Article 5 (commencing with Section 18965) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (c) A fee of three dollars ($3) shall be paid by a public agency applicant for a certified copy of a marriage record, that has been filed with the county recorder or county clerk, that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of six dollars ($6) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a marriage record that has been filed with the county recorder or county clerk. Three dollars ($3) of any six-dollar ($6) fee is exempt from subdivision (e) and shall be transmitted monthly by each local registrar, county recorder, and county clerk to the state for deposit into the General Fund as provided by Section 1852 of the Family Code. (d) A fee of three dollars ($3) shall be paid by a public agency applicant for a certified copy of a marriage dissolution record obtained from the State Registrar that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of six dollars ($6) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a marriage dissolution record obtained from the State Registrar. (e) Each local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk collecting a fee pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, shall do the following: (1) Transmit 15 percent of the fee for each certified copy to the State Registrar by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the fee was received. (2) Retain 85 percent of the fee for each certified copy solely to support the issuing agency for all activities related to the issuance of certified copies of records pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive. (f) In addition to the fees prescribed pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, all applicants for certified copies of the records described in those subdivisions shall pay an additional fee of three dollars ($3), that shall be collected by the State Registrar, the local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk, as the case may be. (g) The local public official charged with the collection of the additional fee established pursuant to subdivision (f) may create a local vital and health statistics trust fund. The fees collected by local public officials pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be distributed as follows: (1) Forty-five percent of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be transmitted to the State Registrar. (2) The remainder of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be deposited into the collecting agency's vital and health statistics trust fund, except that in any jurisdiction in which a local vital and health statistics trust fund has not been established, the entire amount of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be transmitted to the State Registrar. (3) Moneys transmitted to the State Registrar pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in accordance with Section 102247. (h) Moneys in each local vital and health statistics trust fund shall be available to the local official charged with the collection of fees pursuant to subdivision (f) for the applicable jurisdiction for the purpose of defraying the administrative costs of collecting and reporting with respect to those fees and for other costs as follows: (1) Modernization of vital record operations, including improvement, automation, and technical support of vital record systems. (2) Improvement in the collection and analysis of health-related birth and death certificate information, and other community health data collection and analysis, as appropriate. (i) Funds collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall not be used to supplant funding in existence on January 1, 2002, that is necessary for the daily operation of vital record systems. It is the intent of the Legislature that funds collected pursuant to subdivision (f) be used to enhance service to the public, to improve analytical capabilities of state and local health authorities in addressing the health needs of newborn children and maternal health problems, and to analyze the health status of the general population. (j) Each county shall annually submit a report to the State Registrar by March 1 containing information on the amount of revenues collected pursuant to subdivision (f) in the previous calendar year and on how the revenues were expended and for what purpose. (k) Each local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk collecting the fee pursuant to subdivision (f) shall transmit 45 percent of the fee for each certified copy to which subdivision (f) applies to the State Registrar by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the fee was received. (l) The nine dollar ($9) increase to the base fee authorized in subdivision (a) for a certified copy of a fetal death record or death record and subdivision (b) for a certified copy of a birth certificate shall be applied incrementally as follows: (1) A five dollar ($5) increase applied as of January 1, 2012. (2) An additional two dollar ($2) increase applied as of January 1, 2013. (3) An additional two dollar ($2) increase applied as of January 1, 2014. (m) In providing for the expiration of the surcharge on birth certificate fees on June 30, 1999, the Legislature intends that juvenile dependency mediation programs pursue ancillary funding sources after that date. (n) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 6. Section 103625 of the Health and Safety Code, as added by Section 10 of Chapter 529 of the Statutes of 2010, is amended to read: 103625. (a) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be paid by the applicant for a certified copy of a fetal death or death record. (b) (1) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be paid by a public agency or licensed private adoption agency applicant for a certified copy of a birth certificate that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of sixteen dollars ($16) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a birth certificate. Four dollars ($4) of any sixteen-dollar ($16) fee is exempt from subdivision (e) and shall be paid either to a county children's trust fund or to the State Children's Trust Fund, in conformity with Article 5 (commencing with Section 18965) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) The board of supervisors of any county that has established a county children's trust fund may increase the fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate by up to three dollars ($3) for deposit in the county children's trust fund in conformity with Article 5 (commencing with Section 18965) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (c) A fee of three dollars ($3) shall be paid by a public agency applicant for a certified copy of a marriage record, that has been filed with the county recorder or county clerk, that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of six dollars ($6) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a marriage record that has been filed with the county recorder or county clerk. Three dollars ($3) of any six-dollar ($6) fee is exempt from subdivision (e) and shall be transmitted monthly by each local registrar, county recorder, and county clerk to the state for deposit into the General Fund as provided by Section 1852 of the Family Code. (d) A fee of three dollars ($3) shall be paid by a public agency applicant for a certified copy of a marriage dissolution record obtained from the State Registrar that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of six dollars ($6) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a marriage dissolution record obtained from the State Registrar. (e) Each local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk collecting a fee pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, shall do the following: (1) Transmit 15 percent of the fee for each certified copy to the State Registrar by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the fee was received. (2) Retain 85 percent of the fee for each certified copy solely to support the issuing agency for all activities related to the issuance of certified copies of records pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive. (f) In addition to the fees prescribed pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, all applicants for certified copies of the records described in those subdivisions shall pay an additional fee of three dollars ($3), that shall be collected by the State Registrar, the local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk, as the case may be. (g) The local public official charged with the collection of the additional fee established pursuant to subdivision (f) may create a local vital and health statistics trust fund. The fees collected by local public officials pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be distributed as follows: (1) Forty-five percent of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be transmitted to the State Registrar. (2) The remainder of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be deposited into the collecting agency's vital and health statistics trust fund, except that in any jurisdiction in which a local vital and health statistics trust fund has not been established, the entire amount of the fee collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be transmitted to the State Registrar. (3) Moneys transmitted to the State Registrar pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in accordance with Section 102247. (h) Moneys in each local vital and health statistics trust fund shall be available to the local official charged with the collection of fees pursuant to subdivision (f) for the applicable jurisdiction for the purpose of defraying the administrative costs of collecting and reporting with respect to those fees and for other costs as follows: (1) Modernization of vital record operations, including improvement, automation, and technical support of vital record systems. (2) Improvement in the collection and analysis of health-related birth and death certificate information, and other community health data collection and analysis, as appropriate. (i) Funds collected pursuant to subdivision (f) shall not be used to supplant funding in existence on January 1, 2002, that is necessary for the daily operation of vital record systems. It is the intent of the Legislature that funds collected pursuant to subdivision (f) be used to enhance service to the public, to improve analytical capabilities of state and local health authorities in addressing the health needs of newborn children and maternal health problems, and to analyze the health status of the general population. (j) Each county shall annually submit a report to the State Registrar by March 1 containing information on the amount of revenues collected pursuant to subdivision (f) in the previous calendar year and on how the revenues were expended and for what purpose. (k) Each local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk collecting the fee pursuant to subdivision (f) shall transmit 45 percent of the fee for each certified copy to which subdivision (f) applies to the State Registrar by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the fee was received. (l) In providing for the expiration of the surcharge on birth certificate fees on June 30, 1999, the Legislature intends that juvenile dependency mediation programs pursue ancillary funding sources after that date. (m) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2018. SEC. 7. Section 903.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 903.15. (a) The parent of any minor, or other person who is liable for the support of the minor, on whose behalf a petition is filed pursuant to Section 601 or 602, when the minor is represented by appointed counsel, shall be assessed a reasonable registration fee not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) at the time the legal services are provided. Notwithstanding this subdivision, no fee shall be required of any parent or other person who is financially unable to pay the fee. (b) At the time of appointment of counsel by the court, or upon commencement of representation by the public defender, if prior to court appointment, the parent or other person who is liable for the support of the minor shall be asked if he or she is financially able to pay the registration fee or any portion thereof. If the parent or other person indicates that he or she is able to pay the fee or a portion thereof, the court or public defender shall make an assessment in accordance with ability to pay. No fee shall be assessed against any parent or other person who asserts that he or she is unable to pay the fee or any portion thereof. No other inquiry concerning the parent's or other person's ability to pay shall be made until proceedings are held pursuant to Section 903.45. (c) No minor shall be denied the assistance of appointed counsel due solely to the failure of the parent or other person to pay the registration fee. The registration fee shall be a joint and several liability of the parent or other person who is liable for the support of the minor. An order to pay the registration fee may be enforced in the manner provided for enforcement of civil judgments generally, but may not be enforced by contempt. (d) The fact that a parent or other person who is liable for the support of the minor has or has not been assessed a fee pursuant to this section shall have no effect in any later proceedings held pursuant to Section 903.1 or 903.45, except that the parent or other person shall be given credit for any amounts paid as a registration fee toward any assessment imposed pursuant to Section 903.1 or 903.45 for legal services. (e) This section shall be operative in a county only upon the adoption of a resolution or ordinance by the board of supervisors electing to establish the registration fee and setting forth the manner in which the funds shall be collected and distributed. Collection procedures, accounting measures, and the distribution of the funds received pursuant to this section shall be within the discretion of the board of supervisors.